Prince of Persia: Deception
by Kaileena750
Summary: My first fic in English, translated from the original one in Spanish. Kaileena s dark past has transformed her into the moster she is now. Now, she'll have to face the Prince and her own fate. But there will be many surprises after the battle ...
1. Prologue

PRINCE OF PERSIA: DECEPTION

**Prologue**

Much has been said about the Legends of the Sands of Time. Many are the stories told about them and the mythological creatures linked to this weird source of power. However, no ones are feared like specifically two of them. One of them is the Empress of Time. At a glance, the Empress doesn't look like much more than a simple and harmless, beautiful woman. But the truth is quite different. When time started and the Timeline was born, a spirit of huge power was created that, among other things, could control time itself, manipulating it at its will. That spirit consisted of the Sands of Time, from where it got those skills. Every 100 years, the Gods met to see how things were going in the world of mortals. The Spirit of the Sands of Time was accepted in the Gods Family as the Goddess of Time. Centuries passed and the World of Mortals progressed. However, one day, the Goddess of Time, tired of seeing that the other Gods could use their powers while she couldn't, decided to pull some strings in the Timeline, altering some events, destroying past. Preventing the Gods to find it out, she transformed herself into a very beautiful young woman and travelled down to the World of Mortals, seducing different monarchs to provoke then a war between their kingdoms and watch how they destroyed themselves. But the other Gods discovered her and stripped her of her charge of Goddess, and as punishment, the forced her to live among humans in that human being she used so many times to cause evil. Her powers got reduced and she was relegated from her position of Goddess until her life on earth was over. But it wasn't so simple. If she wanted to retake her place, she would have to do something for those humans she caused so much damage before her death. So, she would get her place again. However, her pride was superior to her, and she continued creating chaos in the World of Mortals, killing them. She gained a reputation as a vile and ruthless killer, and she proclaimed herself the Empress of Time. The Gods, seeing that their plan wasn't working, decided to apply a more severe punishment, sending the now Empress of Time to a lost island. The Goddess of Time was confined there inside the Empress of Time. Years passed and she created her own army of Sand Creatures. Some humans who knew of that Island went there to get the Empress's head, but thanks to her power to see into the Timeline, which remained in her, she could anticipate to her enemies and kill them all.

The other creature is the Dahaka, the Guardian of the Timeline, a grotesque, dark being whose stomach sprout huge tentacles that drag his prey to a darkness cloud around him to make it disappear. This creature has no other target than ensure the safety of the Timeline, where the events passed and the events to take place are written. But this hasn´t been always this way. Long time ago, this creature terrified towns from different kingdoms, bloodthirsty. With a tens head dragon look, this creature had no foe. He destroyed everything in his path, going to a place from another hidden under the sea, swimming where he enjoyed the most, until the day when he found the ship where a powerful woman travelled. The Dahaka tried to destroy it and those who travelled in it, but that woman was too strong. As a punishment for his insolence, after beating him, the woman sentenced the Dahaka, transforming it into the monster the murals and writings of temples show, proclaiming him the Guardian of the Timeline, and so, depriving him of his freedom. But that wasn't enough. She used her powers to transform the thing the Dahaka loved the most in a weapon against him: water. If he touched water, a horrible pain would run through his body. That woman, as you might think, was the Empress of Time, when she was free. Imprisoned, the Dahaka waited for the call of the Timeline to awake him, accumulating all his hate. With time, the Dahaka started to get impatient, because no one woke him up from his dream state and his rage grew more and more.


	2. Chapter 1: The awaken of the Dahaka

_-OK, I´ve been a long time without translating this Fic to English. I´m also writing its sequel in Spanish, which will also be translated to English. And if my mind works, the story will have at least 4 parts. The first chapters are going to be mostly from the original storyline in the game, but with some differences that will make the change in the end. So please read and review! (If you see any error in grammar or something, please tell me. It´s been a long time since I last practice my English) -_

**Chapter 1: The awaken of the Dahaka**

Some centuries passed since her exile, and the Empress had already created her own empire, the Island of Time. It was formed by soldiers and creatures of different forms.

The weakest ones were the Raiders, simple soldiers with skulls as masks that were more like servants. They used to walk through the castle, and if any danger appeared, they were the first ones to fall.

Then there were the Keepers, which looks reminded to pirates. They were the soldiers that watched over the Towers . Above them, there were the executioners in the Prison and the places around it. They were masters of torture.

The last ones were the Imperial Guard. Theses showed up when the Empress demanded it.

Also, in every zone, there was a greater creature that was their leader. In the Towers, the Golems; in the Prison, a Thrall, bigger than the Golems; In the Mystical Caves, an old Sanctuary, lived the Empress´s favorite one, the Griffin. It was her pet.

There were other creatures on the Island, like the Invisible Warriors, the Shadows, the servants, and the Soldiers, no stronger, but smarter.

Actually, he was only one soldier, but as he was formed by crows , he could make copies of himself and send them to watch over the Island in his place. The Empress called him the Crow Master. He was her faithful spy.

Above them all, Shahdee, the Empress bodyguard, was her right hand for decisions. She was her best creation, created from her own blood, very alike her, but darker.

Time didn't run on the Island. The Empress made some Portals that transported those who passed through them from the Present Time to a Past Time where the Island remained just as it was when the Empress arrived there.

More than 500 years had passed, but life had not changed. Ships crashed with rocks, survivors were captured, tortured and killed, or were slaves until they died. The Empress had no piety. Inside her heart there was only hate.

So, we start our story on an usual day for the Empress of Time. In was early in the morning, and the last night, after a storm, a ship had sinked in the Present Time. While some soldiers counted the dead and captured the living travelers, Kaileena watched with Shahdee and the Crow Master near her.

Some women claimed for mercy hugging their children while the soldiers take their men away.

"Empress, the captain of the ship has survived." Announced one of the soldiers, bringing a man with the help of other soldier. "It´s him."

The Empress looked at him with contempt and disgust and then spoke:

"You have made a terrible mistake by coming here." She said.

"We never wished to put our feet on this cursed Island." – He denied.

"Pity, you´ve done it, and any of you will get out of here alive." A smile appeared on her lips after these words. She turned to leave, but the human´s words stopped her.

"You´re a damn bitch …" – He cursed.

"What … did you call me?" She turned back with her eyes red of anger. Suddenly, the man started to feel a pressure on his throat that didn't allow him to breath. "You should already know it. I´m the Empress of Time"

And with a small hand move, the pressure increased, breaking the man´s neck. After looking his dead body, she looked at the women, the children and the other men who were still alive.

"Kill them all."

Suddenly, she felt something strange running through her whole body. She didn't know what could it be. She tried to hide it to her minions so they wouldn't be asking her what was going on. Shahdee came closer.

"Empress Kaileena, what should we do with the corpses?"

"Throw them to the Scavengers. They´ll know what to do."

"As you wish, Empress." She said, bowing.

Kaileena went to her room to think about what had happened. She had a headache, like if she was about to see a vision. She decided to go for a walk, thinking about everything happened in the last years. She really was the most feared woman in the world, she had a reputation.

It was a pity that she didn't feel any love for the World of Mortals and its inhabitants. For her, being trapped in that human body was a hell, and to live on earth suffering the weakness of mortality was even worse. That world was a prison for her, and it would be so forever if she didn't change.

She would never get old, she would never die for a natural death. Only if it was caused, death would happen. Since she wasn't going to compensate humans for what she had done, if she died, her soul wouldn't return to its place. She would disappear.

She had to keep danger away. She had great powers and huge knowledge of many things, and a powerful army. She had nothing to fear … or maybe yes?

As the day passed, Kaileena felt worse. Her head was killing her and she felt some illness though her body. She didn't have much food for dinner and she went to bed soon.

After taking off her Imperial dress and getting clothed with something more comfortable to sleep with, she brushed her dark brown hair while looking herself into a mirror. She had not changed her appearance after all the centuries she had been exiled.

In some way, she had habituated to that life. She felt herself powerful; nothing or no one could defeat her. She could do whatever she wanted when she wished it. Up there, however, she could only watch years pass through the Time Line. She was not allowed to change anything. Why should she try to return? She was happy, or she would be until that night.

After hours trying to get some sleep, Kaileena finally managed to close her eyes, but her dream wasn't beautiful. That dream, or better called nightmare, transported her to the Prison where the Dahaka slept. That place seemed to be part of hell itself.

The Guardian remained immobile, imprisoned by thousands of chains. But, suddenly, some of those chains started to break one by one. Something had happened. The Time Line was in danger.

In the armor that covered its head appeared to red bloody eyes. The Dahaka broke the chains left. He was furious, he had been there for centuries, and he was hungry. He needed the soul of the one who had awakened him. He didn't remember why he was there, only that he had to eliminate the chosen one.

Kaileena woke up gasping for air. She was sweating, her heart seemed like if it was going to explode. Her eyes were full opened and she was trembling while lots of chills ran through her back.

Two Imperial Guards that were escorting the doors entered after hearing noises inside to see what had happened.

"Empress!" Shouted one of them, showing in the room.

"What has happened? Are you alright?" Asked the other one.

"Yes, I´m fine. It´s been a false alarm. You can leave." She told them, still trying to calm down.

"As you wish." And they disappeared.

Kaileena sat on her bed with the pillows behind her back. She separated her hair from her face. When she finally calmed herself, she put her head on her knees and closed her eyes.

The silence was broken by a masculine voice from the balcony.

"It seems that problems are coming …" She heard. She looked up, searching for the owner of that voice. It was her "other" right hand.

"Crow? What are you doing here?" She asked him.

"I heard your cries while I was flying over the Island." He answered, entering his Mistress room. "What kind of vision has tormented you so much? What´s wrong with the Dahaka?"

"The Dahaka? How do you know that I saw the Dahaka?" She asked, surprised.

"I heard you speaking his name." He said. "You seem scared. You´re still trembling."

"Come." She ordered.

The Crow Master, or Crow as Kaileena called him, walked closer to the Empress bed, and with no fear, he sat on its side, inclining himself over Kaileena. She moved the black tunic that covered his face and started kissing him.

It wasn't so strange that the Empress had created a lover to break her loneliness, and being one of her subjects, he obeyed all her orders. The difference was that she couldn't get angry with him. However, this relationship was made by convenience from both sides, and those kind or relations never last. Kaileena got pleasure from his company and the Crow was the Empress favorite, protected by her. If he acted as Kaileena wished, she wouldn't hurt him.

The Crow moved away from her lips and looked at her.

"Every day that passes you grow more beautiful, Empress." That made her smile. She sat on the bed again.

"You can leave, Crow. Go back to your mission."

"Then I will fly again near your window to keep an eye on you." In fact, that made Kaileena shudder. She felt herself observed all time.

"Don't press your luck, Crow." She warned him.

"As you wish." He said, retreating. "Maybe you should look into the Time Line to make sure that everything is going right. You look nervous."

The Crow left, leaving Kaileena alone in her room. She couldn't get out of her head what she had dreamed and she wondered if she should look into the Time Line to make sure of that. There was something that worried her. If the Dahaka was really free, that meant that something serious happened. She had to do it.

In silence, she ran through the dark corridors of her castle to reach a chamber hidden in the Mystical Caves of the Island. No one could see her there, not even the Crow.

Closing her eyes and raising her head, she started to invoke the Time Line, which soon appeared in front of her. A golden beam moved in the room, surrounding her. She opened her eyes to the Time Line, they turned golden and then, the real vision started.

_A Time Line posterior to hers. A Palace in the middle of the desert. An army had arrived there for a visit. She saw and recognized King Shahraman, a great ruler. By his side she saw his youngest son, who was 18 and was in his first battle. _

_India had fallen by their weapons, and they took some things as presents for the Sultan of Azad. An old Vizier was with them. They started talking._

"_The Sandglass? It´s there but … full? The Sands have been created? How? Does this mean that my time will finally arrive and my soul will not be saved? This is my destiny if I don't redeem?" She asked herself. _

_Something else caught her attention. The young boy had something in his hands … The Dagger of Time. He got closer to the Sandglass. He opened it and … The Sands of Time start to spread out, transforming everything._

"_Gods! What has that crazy man just done? If the Sands are free their power won´t have any limit. They will destroy everything!"_

_The vision changed. She saw the boy ally with a young girl. She was the Princess of India, the same one they had captured before. They fall in love, but everything banished when the Prince closed the Sandglass. He had avoid the Persian army to attack and to find those magical artifacts, but the damage was already done… The Dahaka had been awakened. _

"_That stupid man has signed his death warrant. He has created a lapsus in the Time Line." After this, she regretted. "If I had been in my place, I would have been able to avoid this …Wait, what the …?"_

_There´s more yet. The vision changed. Seven years later. The young boy is now a mature man. He hadn't reached his thirty of age yet, but he looked much older. He was really deteriorated. The Dahaka is after him. But yet he has managed to escape many times. _

_Everything changes again. Now she sees a boat, approaching to … The Island of Time! The vision changes once more. Now she´s in front of him. Images mix, she cannot see what´s going on. But suddenly, a clear scene gets recorded in her mind. The Prince has injured her with his blade. She falls to the ground, badly injured. She´s bleeding and she can´t move. He approach her. Everything gets blurred and finally, darkness comes over. _

_The Empress has died … SHE has died._

Kaileena fell to the floor. She couldn't believe what she had just seen. Her life was about to end. She hardly crawled until reaching the stone wall. She can hardly breath. She was about to get hysteric. Her eyes started to get full of tears. For the first time in her life, she felt real panic. Desolate and confused, she stayed there crying in silence.

_OK, I´ve had to change some of the phrases so that they would have some meaning in English. This is crazy! But … I´ve finally done it! And just in two evenings! ^^ I´ll bring the next one soon._


	3. Chapter 2: Two destinies tied by dispair

**Two destinies tied by dispair**

After that night, Kaileena´s life turned, changing everything she was and everything she knew. In the following days, she barely ate or slept properly due to the fear she felt. She had lost her appetite and couldn't sleep in peace.

She spent the days in the Thorne Room, closed and barred. Any sun light penetrated in that room. The only thing she did was to walk around and watch as her day arrived slowly. The visions attacked her in any moment, and the more they showed, the more she feared.

Far away from there, in the Great Babylon, the young man who would become her murderer wandered around the streets. He had been exiled by his own Father, after seeing how all his attempts to get rid of the monster which chased him became against him.

Blind by the fear of dying at the hands of that beast, the Prince headed a part of his Father´s Army to a certain death in the desert of Aresura, the land of the Daevas, the same he believed extinct.

They razed everything they found in their path, disobeying his Father, who he had cheated to invade lands from other Kingdoms and see himself closer to his target: The Box of Thousand Restraints. What happened when he found it? The Daevas, who had been trapped there, woke up and destroyed the Prince´s group of soldiers.

Returning home to find shelter against them, he found that the India, hurt for the treason they had suffered by breaking the pact between Persia and them when the Prince attacked, had tried to take Babylon with a vengeance. And with this, between other things, his Mother´s life was taken. After this, his Father exiled him, but the Prince declined to leave his city.

Like a wanderer, he hided himself in the dark streets, stealing food from the merchants, running away from the guards. His only help was an Old Man who lived away from the city, at the other side of the mountains which separated Babylon from the desert.

A normal day in Babylon. With sunrise, life started in the capital of the Persian Empire. The merchants set up their stalls, the vagabonds and thieves took their places among the people, begging for a coin or stealing the innocent ones. The drunks left the taverns, and some infidel men left the many city brothels.

Outside the Palace, life in Babylon was like a mortal trap. The pecking order ruled the citizens' lives. As every day, the guards walked through the streets, and often they trapped some poor unfortunate man, calling him thief and beating him up before stealing him.

Persian society stank those days. If you were someone important you could do whatever you wanted outlaw, like luxury jewels, beautiful women and dozens of wine barrels. Nobody could touch you. But if you belonged to the ordinary people you could only go through two things: If you were a man, they would beat you up very often accusing you of treason or thief, even if you were innocent, to steal you then. And if you were a woman … Well, we could say, that or you had to enforce by hook or by crook, and usually, it was the hard way.

After a calmed night, life in Babylon ran its course. The same routine. A thief is caught red-handed and the guards beat him up until he´s half death, typical. The Prince watched this from a rooftop not far away from there, hidden with his hood so that no one could recognize him.

"It is sad to see the harsh reality of this city." He tought.

He made sure that the guards where away enough and he went down to the streets to attend the thief. He knew him. He went closer and kneeled next to him to help him up.

"I didn't see them coming, they were too many." The poor man lamented himself.

"I know, Jalal. I´ve seen it." He answered. He put his partner´s arm around his neck to help him.

"The patrols are more frequent."

"Yes, this is out of control. There are guards everywhere." Finally, the man was able to get up and started walking. "Come on, I´ll take you to a safe place."

He carried him to the city suburbs, the lower districts. Houses were mostly demolished, and the worst ones had been abandoned years ago.

Jalal´s brother, Mustafa, waited for them there. Carefully, they left him on a bunch of pillows that they used as a bed.

"Take this and put it on all his wounds." Said the Prince, giving Mustafa some ointments.

"Thank you, Prince." Answered Mustafa.

"Don't call me that. You know I´m no longer a Prince." – He denied, looking down.

"You might not have the title, but your blood is royal."

"Yeah … I suppose so. Well, I must go. I have things to do." He said going to the door.

"Be careful. You know the guards are looking for you." Mustafa warned him.

"I´ll be, my friend. I´ll be."

He jumped off a window and ran through the rooftops until he reached the bazaar. It was already midday, and the smell of food made him hungry.

Carefully, he went closer to a fruit stand. He had to be cautious, because if the guards saw him he would get big troubles. He saw two of them coming and waited until they moved away. Then, quickly and in silence, he took advantage of the merchant´s cluelessness and he took a bag ready for a client.

He ran off and he hide himself in a safe place. He opened the bag but, sadly, the fruit he found wasn't one he liked.

"Arg … Pomegranates! They had to be pomegranates!" He said in disgust. "Well, it´s better than nothing."

With difficulty, he ate a pair of them. Meanwhile, he watched as many caravans of rulers and officers arrived to the Palace. Once he had finished, he went down to the bazaar again. There, he found a small flower tend, where waited a friend of him, Asha, an old widow who informed him about the city news.

"Good morning, Asha." He greeted.

"Regards, Prince Cyrus." She said emotionally.

"I bring you fruits." – He said, showing the bag.

"Robbing again?"

"I had no other choice."

"And have you eaten?"

"Yes, some of them. I´m not a pomegranate lover." He answered. "Any news?"

"You noticed that the guards have doubled the number of patrols, haven't you?"

"Yes, that makes me even harder to move through the city." He complained.

"You must be careful, Cyrus. If they catch you, you know what will happen to you."

"I know. But I don't understand so much security. Does it have something to do with the caravans going to the Palace?"

"I´ve heard that there´s a party tonight in the Palace."

"A party?" He asked, confused.

"Yes, your brother Malik´s birthday."

"Malik! Gods … It´s been so many years." He paused, thinking. "I must go and see him."

"Are you crazy?"

"It´s been too many years since we last met. I won't let this chance go." He insisted. – Now I must go. Thanks for the information!

The Prince ran to the city gate, where he had left his horse. He mounted and galloped to the mountains. After an hour, he reached the Old Man´s house. He left the horse in a makeshift stable and entered the house, which was like a nomad tent.

"Is anybody around here?" He shouted.

"Oh! Hi, Cyrus." He saluted. "It´s been some days since you last came. Something happened?"

"No, nothing special. These days the patrols have grew because of a party in the Palace tonight for my brother Malik."

"You´re not thinking of going … Are you?"

"Yes, I haven't seen him in years. I must go."

"Madness! You cannot risk yourself like that."

"It is my brother who we are talking about! He´s been my model since I was a child." He insisted.

"Good, do whatever you want." The Old Man accepted, tired. "I don't think it's a good idea, but go ahead."

"Nothing will happen to me."

"I hope so … Are you hungry?"

"Actually … I am."

"I´ll cook something. Meanwhile, I advise you to have a bath."

Cyrus blushed, embarrassed when he realized that. He didn't bath in weeks. It was time to wash himself. So, he went to the other side of the house, where there was a pit. He filled a bucket with water and had a good, cold bath. When he finished, he went in again and found a dish with food. He ate like an animal, only stopping to breathe.

Later, at night, he rode his horse and galloped again to the city. Once there, he avoided the many guards who escorted the gates to the Palace. He headed to the Hanging Gardens. He was sure that the party would be there, and he wasn't wrong.

From a tree, he could see how everyone celebrated Malik´s birthday. He saw his Father, the Sultan of Azad, the Maharaja of India with his daughter, Princess Farah, some of the Army officers … Many of his friends were there, and he was missing it.

He couldn't show himself, he had to bring Malik to him. But he didn't have to. While Malik was talking to one of his partners, he sensed something moving between the trees. He said goodbye to his friend and went closer to the place where he thought he had seen something, carefully.

Prince Cyrus went down the tree to hide between the shrubbery. Malik noticed something and he unsheathed his sword.

"Malik!" He called behind him.

"Who´s there?" – He shouted, turning ready to attack.

"Calm down, Malik. It´s me, your brother Cyrus!" He said, showing himself.

"Cyrus?" Malik looked confused, but he didn't take long to hug his brother. "What are you doing here? If Father discovers you you´ll have problems. Are you mad?"

"I risk my life to come and congratulate you for your birthday and this is how you welcome me? I feel flattered." Cyrus complained with sarcasm.

"I thank you for coming, brother. But you must go as quickly as you can. Even if I´m happy to see you, I don't want anybody to see you here. Go before it´s too late."

"But Malik…"

"Go before the guards arrive!" He urged him.

Cyrus, disappointed, had to admit that Malik was right, and he ran off as quickly as he could. But when he climbed the Palace walls to get out of there, somebody grabbed his foot and made him fall outside the walls.

"Look who we have here!" A guard shouted. He had been discovered.

"I think he didn't understand the meaning of the word "exiled"." Another one said while two more grabbed him.

"Well, let´s give him a lesson then."

And like beasts, they started a fight against him. He got kicked in the stomach and many punches before he could get them off. As soon as he got a chance, he escaped. He returned to the Old Man´s house. When he entered and the Old Man saw him, the young Prince lowed his head. He didn't say anything. The Old Man grabbed his arm and forced him to sit down to heal his wounds.

"What happened?" He asked seriously.

"Some guards surprised me on my way here." He answered, not looking at him.

"Did you see your brother?" After that question, Cyrus moaned in pain when the Old Man started healing the wounds from his face.

"Yes, sort of it." There was sadness in those words.

"Sort of it? What do you mean?"

"He only told me to leave. Nothing else."

"Malik doesn't want any harm to you. You know he loves you. Do you think he would like to see you like this?" Cyrus didn´t say anything. "Come on, answer."

"No." He said. "It´s just that I´m tired of this life! I cannot stand it! I want to return home, with my Family. I´m tired of walking through the streets like if I were a wanderer, stealing the poor food I eat. This is humiliating!"

"I know, but you know that with this you have learned a humility lesson. Before being exiled, you would have never helped a vagabond or a troubled child."

"I know … But it´s been a long time! My Father should forgive me. There must be a way to gain his forgiveness!" He looked him and his mind started working. "You don't know any way … Do you?"

"Cyrus, the last time you tried something your Mother was killed with many citizens." The Old Man was trying to avoid the question, but he knew something.

"I know you know something. I beg you, tell me!"

"I don't know if it´s a good idea." He went to another room and came back with a book. "Listen, this book holds information about what you need."

"What is it about?" He asked reading it.

"Do you remember the story your Mother used to tell you when you were a child about a women who destroyed everything in her path?"

"The one every child is told to warn them about bad behave? Of course I do." He answered.

"Well, according to the Legend, that woman is the incarnation of the Goddess of Time."

"Goddess of Time?"

"Yes. According to the texts, she hated our world. She found funny to create chaos starting wars between kingdoms and changing the events of the Timeline, just as you did when you opened the Hourglass." Cyrus looked confused. "The Sands of Time are the essence of the Goddess of Time herself. It is what´s left of her after her death."

"Death? Aren´t Gods supposed to be immortals?"

"Listen to the story and shut up, you ignorant!" After this, he continued. "Like I said, she loved to change the Timeline, until one day the Gods discovered her, and as a punishment, they sentenced her to stay in the body she used to walk among us, becoming mortal. But it is curious, she can only die by being killed, age doesn't have any influence on her."

"And what happened to her after that?"

"It is believed that she lives in a cursed Island lost in the ocean, guarded by an army of Sand Creatures. After so many centuries, she has gained a reputation of ruthless murderer, and she has proclaimed herself the Empress of Time. Nobody who steps in her Island survives."

"And what about the creature that hunts me?"

"According to the description you told me, the monster which hunts you is the Dahaka, the Guardian of the Timeline. It was the Empress herself who convicted it to that charge after a battle. The Dahaka only wakes up if the Timeline is changed. That is why it´s after you. When you opened the Hourglass, you broke the curse of the Timeline. Setting the Sands of Time free is like setting the Empress free again. If you want to redeem yourself and get rid of the Dahaka, your only choice is to travel to the Island of Time and defeat the Empress of Time."

"But I don't understand. If there are Sands … What happened to the Empress? She died?"

"She must have died, since we don't have any news from her after all this time."

"Then how am I supposed to find her?"

"In the Island there are some Portals that will take you to the Past, when she was still alive. At least that's what the Mahajara tells in this book. He has been the only man who has managed to go and come back. But that's just because she didn't find her and found only the Sands."

"So … If I travel to the Island of Time and avoid the creation of the Sands the Dahaka will stop hunting me, right?"

"Yes, but there´s something that doesn't convince me at all."

"What?"

"The Sands of Time. They belonged to her. Nobody knows how she is related with them. Maybe she tried to create them to use their power to get back hers and something happened, and the Sands killed her. There are many legends about that, thought that one is the best." The Old Man explained, suspicious.

"Whatever it is, I´ll find her."

"Cyrus, if you go there, you´ll have to face her. That´s a sentence to death!"

"Why?"

"She still has some of her powers. And her appearance was what she used as a weapon to start wars. She used to seduce some rulers and then she started conflicts between them. She knows very well the art of seduction. No man can resist her. If you fall in her charm, she will kill you easily."

"I won´t let her seduce me. I prefer to defeat her and enjoy the many concubines I´ll have at my return party."

"Cyrus, come down to earth and leave your world of clouds and dreams. This is serious! You´re facing death."

"I´ve been running from it since that damn monster started hunting me! What do you want me to do? Sit here and wait until it kills me? Or fighting against it for my life and honor?" He was desesperated.

"Any of the options look good to me, Cyrus. You won´t live anyway. Nobody has managed to beat the Empress."

"Then I´ll be the first one. I´ll do whatever I have to reach my target. I won´t give up. But I need you to help me and tell me what do you know about that place."

"Everything is in that book. There are maps, information about special places and some fragments from the murals which showed the Empress."

"Perfect. So, I´ll need a ship and a crew. I´ll go to the city tomorrow to find some men disposed to go. Now, with your permission, I would like to sleep." He looked at the Old Man. His face looked worried. "Don´t worry, I´ll kill the Empress and I will avoid the creation of the Sands. If all the things you have told me are true, if there are no Sands, she won´t be able to use them for her purpose, and so, her plans will twist and the Sands won´t be in the Hourglass." He sounded sure of himself. "Good night."

The Prince entered a room that the Old Man always had ready for him. Though Cyrus sounded sure, the Old Man was not sure about the truth of the Legends.

"I hope that the Empress death and the creation of the Sands of Time are not related to your future acts, Cyrus …" He thought.

Meanwhile, on the Island of Time, Kaileena suffered in silence. The visions attacked her more often, fragments from the Timeline, from what would happen. She was terrified, but yet she tried to keep composure.

Tired of being enclosed in her room or in the Throne Room, she went to the Gardens of the Vegetal Tower. The sunlight touched her pale skin. She was with her loved Griffin, sitting next to it, patting it while the huge beast grunted happily.

However, her mind was still focused on those visions. She had seen with details how that man pierced her body with his sword. She had seen her own blood shedding. She had never felt like that. Of course, the Crow had noticed his Mistress behavior.

"It seems that things look much worse that what you thought." Kaileena listened his voice, not far away from her.

"What do you want now?" She asked, tired.

"You really are afflicted." He said. "It seems that the release of the Dahaka has brought more problems than what you had in mind. What is it?"

"That is not your business."

"It is to ensure my Mistress safety." He answered bowing. "Tell me what scares you from that mortal."

"Mortal? How do you know …?" Kaileena couldn't believe that the Crow knew that.

"I told you I would keep an eye on you."

"But how did you have access to the Timeline chamber?"

"It isn't difficult to a crow to hide in the shadows. Tell me then, what scares you?"

"If you were there, you already know." She said, angry.

"Are you really scared of him? He´s a human. If the soldiers know about this, they will not trust in your leadership anymore. You must not show such weakness."

"And what do you plan to do?"

"If you wish, I can fly, find him and watch his progress. Meanwhile, you can intensify the Island Defenses."

"If I do that, the soldiers will think I´m afraid of something."

"Not if you know how to cheat them. You didn't gift them with intelligence, Empress. Tell any excuse."

"Go, we´re wasting time." She ordered.

"As you command, Empress."

And with this words, the Crow Master transformed into a little crow that flew away quickly. Kaileena remained there, immersed in her thoughts. Was the Crow right? Should she really try to save herself? She was the Empress of Time, the most feared woman in the world, and he was just a simple human. It was all her army against only one man. She had advantage.

"I must avoid that man to reach my Island …"

_-Ok, I know this chapter is confusing. Even I got confused when I wrote it XD But it is one of the points of Warrior Within, the many story gaps it has which make it mysterious. - _


	4. Chapter 3: Getting ready

**Chapter 3: Getting ready**

In Babylon, the Prince walked through the harbor in search of a ship to take him to the Island of Time. He asked in many piers, but as soon as he mentioned the place, the owners declined. The search was going worse and worse, and the Prince started to fret. He needed a ship to get to that Island.

When he believed his luck gone, he managed to find a ship that, even if it didn't look very resistant, it would serve. It belonged to an old sailor which had left the fishing job, and since he didn't have any sons to leave his belongings to, he had to keep that ship with him. He saw Cyrus walking through the harbor and he talked him.

"Young man," He said. "Do you need something?"

"Yes, well …" He answered walking to him. "I´m looking for a ship to make a journey."

"A journey, huh?" The old man looked interested. "To where, exactly?"

"It´s a bit dangerous. I´m heading to the Island of Time."

"The Island of Time?" He started laughing. "If you wish to die just fall off a cliff!"

"I must get rid of the Guardian of the Timeline which hunts me." He explained begging. "It´s my only choice. I have been all the day looking for a ship, but nobody offers me one. I´m desperate. Only if I clear my name by killing this beast, my Father will forgive me for what I have done to this city."

"Wait … Are you the Prince of Persia?"

"I was."

"Wow …" The old sailor started to think. "Come, maybe I can help you."

"Really?"

"Yes." He took some steps and pointed his stick to a ship. "Do you see that ship?"

"The last one?"

"Yes. It´s mine. I´m been trying to get rid of it many years. It might not be in good repair, but with some arrangements in some parts it will hold the journey you wish to make." He looked at the Prince, who was staring at the ship. "What do you say?"

"How much do you want for it?"

"Nothing. Just make that bitch who lives on that Island pay for what she has done to our lands in all these centuries and I´ll be happy." He said smiling.

"Great! Now a just need a crew …"

The Prince started thinking which men to choose for his journey. Meanwhile, the Island of Time was getting ready for what was supposed to be its hardest battle. The Empress hided her fears to avoid a rebellion. She had ordered to strengthen all the access with deadly traps. The soldiers, unaware of what was going on, obeyed the Empress´ orders.

Shahdee, however, was confused with all those changes. The access hall to the Throne Room was a real deadly trap! Willing to get answers, Shahdee walked to Kaileena, who was supervising the assembly of one of the traps.

"Could you tell me what the hell is going on here?" She asked, bold.

"How dare you talking to me that way? Show respect!" Kaileena felt offended.

"Explain the reason for all these traps, then!"

"Do I need a reason to strengthen the defenses of my Fortress?" She asked proudly.

"No one has assaulted this Island since you arrived here. The army is effective, so it´s stupid to strengthen the Island defenses … Unless there´s something that really bothers you."

That left Kaileena with no defense. She couldn't give more reasons.

"Come. I´ll explain you everything." She said, heading to the Throne Room.

They both walked through the hall, full of traps to place yet. Even the floor, in some parts, would shift down some meters when the traps got activated, creating a ditch to avoid anyone to pass. The soldiers looked at them when they saw them walking, confused and suspicious.

They reached the Throne Room and Kaileena closed the door. She walked to her Throne quickly. Shahdee followed her slowly. She sat on the Throne and put aside a book she had there, her diary.

"Well … What´s happening?" She urged her.

"I guess you have noticed that it´s almost impossible to walk through the halls without being killed." She started, trying to show herself calm.

"Almost impossible? Forget that! What´s coming here?"

"Something that has been torturing me since some weeks." She said, leaving the book on the Throne while getting up.

"What is it?"

"My death."

"Death?" Shahdee thought about that.

"All the traps you´ve seen are to avoid it to come to me."

"And what´s that thing that will bring you death to take such desperate measures? A divine army? The devil himself? What? What are we about to face?"

"A man." She answered, turning her back on her.

"A man? You mean … A human? We´re going to fight a human?" Kaileena, still in the same position, nodded. Shahdee got angry, confused. "So much security to keep out a simple human? Have you lost your mind?

"Shahdee, I´ve seen him in my visions." She turned to her, placing her hands on her shoulders. "I haven't seen any other do what he does. His agility surpasses any other humans. I have seen him fight in his Timeline with many of our soldiers … At the same time! And he defeated them with no trouble! In some months he will reach our shores and he will kill me!"

"And what brings him here? Revenge, maybe?"

"No, the Dahaka is after him. His destiny has driven him to open the Sandglass."

"The Sandglass? But … It´s empty."

"Not in his Timeline. That confirms my fears. They´re not delusions! It´s real … Despair drives him, Shahdee. He will do everything and more to get rid of the Dahaka."

"I still don't understand why is he coming here."

"Because he thinks that by stopping the creation of the Sands he will get rid of him. What he doesn't know is that the Sands flow under my skin."

"And wouldn't it be easier to deal with him when he arrives? Meet him and come to an agreement." Shahdee suggested.

"He thinks that I´m its creator. And I don't deal with humans. They don't use their intelligence. They only get pleasure from killing."

"Just like you …" Shahdee murmured.

"What did you say?" After so many days without rest or eating as she should, the Empress was starting to show an anger and contempt which were much higher than the usual in her. She was being drifted. "Be careful with what you say behind my back!" She threatened her with a dagger near her throat.

"With due respect, Empress, it´s the harsh reality. Since the Gods condemned you, you have sought as an escape torturing humans. You get pleasure from it." Kaileena removed the dagger.

A crow came in flying. It was Kaileena´s right hand, her royal spy and lover. Seeing them arguing, the Crow, now in his human shape, showed a smile in his face. Kaileena shunted Shahdee aside.

"I see things start to stir …" He said, smiling.

"What news do you bring?" Kaileena asked, ignoring his comment.

"Your murderer has already found a ship to bring him here. Now he´s looking for a crew, and seeing his company, I would say he will bring thieves." He explained.

"Thieves? Dirty snakes … They will come here to loot the Island."

"I´ve seen that you have already strengthen the Defenses. Have you thought of anything else?"

"Duplicate the soldiers that guard the different zones."

"That would be a good idea." The Crow agreed.

"Shahdee" She said, looking at her. "Tell all the soldiers to distribute themselves around the Island. I want guards all the time."

"May I ask how do you plan to keep that horde of looters away from the Island?" She asked.

"Ready a crew and our best ship. When they come closer we will sink them."

"I have a question. Isn´t fate supposed to be unalterable? Why do you even try?"

"I am over the Timeline rules! Now do as I have told you!"

"As you wish." Bowing, she left the room.

"She´s got a point on that, Empress." The Crow spoke. "No one can change his fate, and those rules includes you too. You were created from the Timeline."

"And what other thing can I do, Crow?" She asked, a bit calmed. "I know he will arrive, but the longer I can avoid it …"

"The more you´ll suffer." He finished. The Crow was the only one on the Island who could manipulate the Empress´s feelings to make her feel insecure or even fear future events, like what was happening.

"Leave." She ordered, covering her eyes with her hands. "I want to be alone."

"If you need me, just call me." And with these words, he disappeared.

Kaileena sat on the Throne and started thinking. She took a look at the Timeline a couple of times to see what was she facing. He was truly a great warrior, and what was more important, he knew how to use some of the Sands artifacts. However, the amulet placed in his armor seemed to haven´t been activated yet. The Empress begged for him not to discover that it also had powers over the Sands. At least, that would give her a chance against him. But as she looked more and more, she saw fewer options.

"There´s no way out. It´s useless."

Babylon, one month later. The Prince had his ship already arranged, he only needed to get his crew. He sent the city thieves the message, and soon, some volunteers showed out. He had a cook, some servants and many corpulent warriors. Some were soldiers fired from the army that, just like Cyrus, hoped to get a second chance, and they saw in Cyrus their wish fulfilled.

"How many man do we have?" He asked to his right hand in this journey, Jalal.

"About 40 men counting warriors and servants."

"Good … We only have to get some weapons and get ready for the journey …"

In his mind, Cyrus could see the Island, and he saw himself holding the Empress´s head in his hands, still bleeding. He wanted to finish that as soon as he could.


	5. Chapter 4: The beginning of a journey

**Chapter 4: The beginning of a journey that would become a tragedy**

The Sun was rising behind the mountains that separated Babylon from the desert. The sunshine reflected on the peaceful waters of the bay, where the city was built, near the banks of the Euphrates River. The land expanded to a steep, rocky canyon which limited the bay, and through where the water flowed to the sea.

It was a strategic place for fishermen. That was the reason why Babylon had such a great fishing. In the harbor, the sailors built networks and prepared their ships while the children jumped from the rocks, away from the boats, and then swam to the towers where, at sunset, a fire was lighted to use them as a lighthouse for the travelers.

The Prince´s crew had already taken all the provisions and weapons to the ship. Everything was ready. In just some hours they would set sail to the place which no human would have ever wished to visit. But his situation was different. He had nothing to lose. If the Empress´ soldiers didn't kill him, the Dahaka would do it. He would take with him the lives of all his men, but if he died, nobody could blame him for that.

As the preparations reached their end, Cyrus went to visit his Old mentor for last time. Again, he tried to make him change his mind.

"Are you sure you want to risk your life?" He asked.

"Old Man, we have already talked about this. There´s no way back. It´s my only chance to save my life and clean my honor."

"Cyrus, you will take with you the lives of tens of men! How will that clean your honor?"

"I will bring the Empress´ head with me if it´s necessary. Any proof to make my Father talk to me again!" He looked back to the maps. "According to this, the journey will take some weeks. The easier access is through this bay."

"Do you really think that it´s so simple? The Empress will be waiting for you. She will send her soldiers as soon as you get close to the Island!"

"If they do, we will defeat them. I will kill those soldiers one by one until the Empress gets helpless."

"I´m not going to make you desist, am I?" Cyrus looked at him and took his books and maps. "I won´t stop you from committing a madness."

"Old Man, I prefer to try this madness that staying here, waiting to my death." He said, firmly, heading to the door. "When I come back and my Father allows me to go back to Palace, I will compensate you for all these years you have sheltered me."

"I don't need and compensation, Cyrus. I just hope that you know what you´re doing. Go then, if you´re so sure of yourself." He said. "But know this: You cannot change your fate. No man can."

Cyrus stood near the door some seconds, doubting, but he decided to start walking. The journey would be long, hard and dangerous. Surely, most of the men that who went with him would never see their families again.

He reached the harbor. His ship and crew were waiting for him. He stayed there looking at them, thinking about all the possible things that might happen. An agitated voice brought him back to Earth.

"Brother!" Shouted the voice, getting closer. It was Malik.

"Malik, what are you doing here, brother?" He asked under his hood so that no one could recognize him.

"So, it´s true. You´re leaving." He said, sounding disappointed. "Are you aware of what you´re doing?"

"Yes, brother. I must do it." He answered, looking down.

"Believe or not, but Father is sad because of this. And I am too …" He hugged him and showed him a sword. "I´ve brought you my old sword. I hope it´ll be helpful."

"Thank you, brother." He said, holding the Eagle Sword in his hands. "I´ll do anything to bring evidences of my innocence. Even if it means bringing the Empress´ head."

" Return alive. That´s all we want." And he hugged him again, this time harder. "Good luck, brother."

"Take care of Father."

Both Princes tried to save face and not to cry, but they knew that their possibilities of meeting again were few. Cyrus embarked and looked at his brother, who stayed there. The ship started moving to the canyon. Malik watched sadly how his younger brother walked away from his home city, until the ship disappeared behind the rocks.

The first night on the ship was a great party. The crew men drank and ate, celebrating their future victory. How innocent … The Prince stayed in his cabin, reading again and again all the manuscripts he carried with him. It was difficult to concentrate because of the noise from the party outside. He didn't want to party. He had do check one by one every detail about that place. He couldn't make any mistakes. But soon, he was disturbed by one of the sailors, who came to invite him to join the celebration.

"Your Highness, come and drink with us!" He suggested happily.

"Thank you for the invitation, but I´m busy." He refused.

"Please! All the crew is waiting you. Without our captain, the party isn´t the same." He insisted.

"Alright, I guess I can enjoy it for just one night. The journey will be long." He finally agreed.

He walked out with the young man. All the men were sitting on the ground or ledges of the ship. One of them offered him a jug wine. As they gave it to him, he listened other men talking about the Legends of the Island of Time.

"They say that the Empress´ soldiers are so monstrous that with only taking a look at them, you feel fear." One said.

"Well, I have heard that no one who has seen the Empress has managed to get out of her Island alive." Added another one. "They say that her beauty is such that any man falls to her feet."

"But that won´t happen to our Prince!" Denied one, pointing Cyrus.

"Yes! Prince Cyrus will put her in her place." Added one.

"Prince Cyrus, what do you plan to do when we arrive?"

"When we land, we´ll look for the Empress. We´ll kill every soldier who stands in our way. Later, I´ll see if those Legends say the truth about that whore … And then, I´ll finish her. Once we finish our mission, we´ll get her treasure and if her servants are as it is said and they´re worth it, we´ll bring some with us and we´ll make a little celebration." He explained. "But I reserve the right to choose some for me." He added, smiling.

"Well spoken!" Shouted one.

"Long live our Prince!"

"And let the Empress and all her army tremble with fear!"

The Empress had not slept in weeks. Every time she closed her eyes she saw her murderer, stringing her with his sword, ending her life. She never got out of the Throne Room. She had been so much time without feeling the sunshine´s touch that her skin had become pale. Her restlessness had made her behavior become more and more darker, turning into rage, that, filled with her panic, made her subjects fear her even more.

Her death was just some weeks away. She was exhausted, she needed to rest. Sitting on her Throne, her eyes closed slowly, until she got trapped into another dream that would become a nighmare.

"_She was in the Throne Room. An uncomfortable silence whipped the place. She was starting to be nervous. She called her servants, but they didn't come. Shahdee? No. Her soldiers? No. Anyone answered her call. There was any signal of them. Had they been massacred? She couldn't know. _

_She senses some weight in her hands. Her blades had just appeared. But, why? Suddenly, she felt someone else´s presence in the room. She turned, waiting to see one of her people, but it wasn't so. The one who was standing there was him, the Prince of Persia, her murderer, blade in hand. _

_She looked into those blue eyes. She could see bloodlust behind them. He stared at her, indifferent. The Empress didn't know what to do. He started approaching her slowly. She wasn't ready to face him. Her hands betrayed her and let the blades fall to the ground. _

_Before her murderer could jump over her, she rolled, dodging his attack. Then, the real hell started. _

_Kaileena tried to dodge his opponent´s attacks, who only reached to cause her small cuts. However, those cuts burned Kaileena´s skin, who felt that her heart was about to burst. She could fight, using her powers, but the fear that this man infused over her was stronger than her strength. Her legs were failing her, she wasn't able to run. She tried to get away from him by throwing him things, but it was useless. Desperate, she invoked her Imperial Guard, but he killed all its members in just some minutes. That human wasn't an ordinary one._

_The distinct sound of skin being cut by some king of weapon made her fall to the floor. The Prince had threw her a dagger into her leg. Shouting in pain in a puddle of her own blood, the Empress crawled some meters, trying to reach the Throne Room´s doorway. However, a sword blocked her path. She could see her reflection, bleeding. She looked up and reached her enemy´s face. He still looked at her careless to her suffering. He grabbed her neck and made her stand up._

"_No …" She begged. "Don´t do it."_

_It was useless. The Prince drove his sword in her chest, completely piercing her. She could feel how it found a way across her vital organs, breaking some ribs, emerging through her back. She began to bleed from the wound and her own mouth. The Prince took his sword away from her and let the Empress go, who, after standing some seconds in agony, fell to the floor, dead."_

A voice brought her out of that horrible nightmare.

"Empress?"

Still trembling, and yet breathing hard, the Empress looked around for the one who had spoken. It was de Crow.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

"Yes." She lied.

"Again that vision?" She nodded. "Well, I´m sorry to bring you bad news, Mistress."

"What news?"

"The Prince has left Babylon today. He´s heading to this Island and according to what I have heard … He isn't planning anything good for you."

"This is ridiculous." She said to herself. "I don´t even know why I´m doing this. It will be useless. The day will arrive and my life will reach its end."

"You have nothing to lose by trying it, Empress. Let Shahdee be the one to face him. The soldiers will be able to eliminate the Prince´s allies. Shahdee would defeat him."

"It´s a suicide mission. He will reach the Island."

"If you think he will, of course he will reach it. Think if for a second, the vision might not be showing you that fate just because you deny to avoid his arrive?" He asked.

"You´re right …" Kaileena started seeing things from another point of view. "But … Shahdee won´t agree to go in such a mission. It´s too risky. She´s my bodyguard. If she dies, I´ll lose an important escort." Kaileena wasn't sure of herself. "She´s the closest thing I´ve ever had to a friend."

"She´s just another creature, Empress. And, just between us, I must tell you that I have heard Shahdee saying things about you that I wouldn't like you to know." He lied. Shahdee had always obeyed the Empress, even in the worst moments.

"Shahdee speaks of me behind my back?" She was starting to feel confused.

"Just remember what she muttered being in front of you when you told her about the mission. If she dares in your presence, what will she say behind your back?"

"Shahdee has always been very shameless. But speak of my behind my back …" She couldn't really believe it. The problem was that the Crow was filling her heart with hatred to Shahdee.

"You´ve given her too much freedom. Her status has allowed her to avoid your rage in certain times. If you don't straighten her now, you will probably lose control over her. Who knows? She could betray you …"

"Alright. Bring her to me."

The Crow disappeared to look for Shahdee. Kaileena was so blind because of her fear that she couldn't see that the Crow wanted to turn her against her own bodyguard. Shahdee had always been very bold to Kaileena, many times she spoke when other would have not said a word. But, why did the Crow want to get rid of Shahdee? Did he want Kaileena for his own?


	6. Chapter 5: Threats

**Chapter 5: Threats **

Sand creatures, normally, don't need to eat because their own essence gives them strength. However, Shahdee, being a different creation, the Empress created her from her own blood, and so, she had some differences from the others. She was more human, more perfect compared with the others. She could touch the water, swim and drink it, things that any other creature was able to do. Not even the Crow. However, she had a disadvantage. She needed to sleep and eat frequently.

Kaileena had given her those qualities to make her stronger to fulfill her missions. When she created her, she thought of making her submissive. But she thought that if she created a darker version of herself, but less powerful, that would give her an avarice and anxiety to fill that power vacuum that only battle victories could fill. That sure made her Bodyguard loyal and effective.

Shahdee, even if she was a rebel and used to incite her Empress, she had never disappointed her. On this point, Kaileena was proud of her creation. She was the only of all her army that she would never destroy. The Crow hated her for that. She was her favorite one, and he wanted to have the privileges Shahdee had.

The Crow didn't take long to find her. She was in the dining room, talking to some Raiders and some Assassins at the time she was eating. Curiously, they were speaking of Kaileena, but they didn't say any offensive word.

"She´s very weird lately." One said.

"Yes, she hasn't left the Throne Room in weeks." One of the Assassins said.

"Shahdee, you know her better than us. What do you think? What bothers her?"

"I don't know." She lied. She couldn't say anyway that Kaileena feared for her death at the hands of a human. If she said that, the soldiers might revolt. "I only know that something´s coming to the Island."

"It must be something really dangerous when she has strengthen the Castle´s Defenses."

"Even more to send a ship to face it and finish it!" One said. "Who will go in that ship?"

"The Empress has asked me to ready a crew, but I don't really know who to pick up. I don't know if I should take the best soldiers with me or leave them here to defend the Island." She sighed. "I only hope this doesn't take very long. Every day she grows more irritated. Depletion is making her to behave more enraged than usually."

"True, this last week, all those who have been called by her had ended dead …"

"Then, let´s hope she doesn't call us." She said, and right then, a voice called her.

"Shahdee." The Crow said.

"Shouldn't you be praising the Empress?" She asked him, irritated. She hated him, like many creatures on the Island.

"The Empress wants to see you. She wants to speak with you." He announced.

Shahdee wasn't able to say anything. The soldiers looked at her, fearful. Doubting, she got up and followed the Crow to the Throne Room. After what had happened that week, going there was too risky. When she arrived, the Crow stood to the Empress´ right. Kaileena was starting to show weakness for what was happening.

She was pale, her eyes were red from all those nights with no rest, and her looks revealed that she wasn't in a good mood. Any creature on the Island would run away after seeing her like that. She was like a volcano about to erupt.

Shahdee reached the stairs to the Throne and bowed, showing the Empress respect.

"Did you wish to speak with me, Empress?" She asked.

"Yes." She answered, seriously. "There has been a change in our plan."

"What is it?"

"The crew must consist of Raiders. They will beat our enemy´s allies easily. The better ones must stay here."

"But … Who will eliminate the one who retreats your life?" She asked, confused.

"You."

"Me?" Shahdee was shocked. "Why me?"

"Are you questioning my decisions?" She asked, raising her head to show superiority.

"No, Empress." She denied, looking down. "But I think it would be more reasonable that I stay here with you in case that the patrol fails."

"That's why I´m leaving here the best soldiers. Although I trust you won´t fail me. I wouldn't like to have to destroy you."

"You threaten me to destroy me?" Shahdee couldn't believe her Mistress' words. "I have served you since you created me! I have kept away more enemies than anyone else!"

"I know, but with the years you have become bolder and disrespectful. I don't know if I can trust you. Think of this mission as a loyalty test." As she spoke, she used a more serious tone. "Then, I may forgive you for what you say of me behind my back."

"What? Me? Speak behind your back?" Shahdee analyzed the situation. "The Crow has told you that, hasn't he?" She looked at him. "You´re turning her against me to take my place, aren't you? Bastard!" She looked at the Empress again. "Empress, stop listening to him. He´s trying to confuse you!"

"How dare you accuse me of such thing?" The Crow complained.

"Calm down, Crow." Kaileena looked at Shahdee with contempt. "I know very well what I´m doing, Shahdee. Now go."

Shahdee showed a grimace, bowed, and left. Kaileena was being brainwashed by the Crow. He had said huge lies to turn her against Shahdee. She was sure of that. Otherwise, she would have never sent her to that mission.

In the following weeks, Shahdee had reunited a group of Raiders for the mission. She had trained herself thoroughly. She had to do whatever to avoid death. And, after the mission, she would talk to Kaileena seriously to open her eyes and show her that she was innocent. She had to take her away from the Crow anyway.

The day came closer. Kaileena´s death was near. He would arrive that night. She was in the Main Hall, thinking how could the time to test her plan already arrive. "Too soon" she repeated to herself again and again. She saw Shahdee approaching her. She hoped that the guards she had sent to the Prince´s time confirmed her wishes of the ship to never arrive, but Fate wasn't by her side.

"His ship approaches to our shores, just as the Timeline foretold." Shahdee announced. "I´m sorry, Empress."

"Have you done as I said?" Kaileena spoke with a soft voice. She was seized by fear in that moment. She didn't see any way out.

"The crew is assembled and the ship is ready." Shahdee confirmed.

"Good. Then go to his Timeline and attack him at sea …" She ordered. "And kill him! Kill them all!"

"As you wish …" She said reluctantly as she bowed.

"I do not appreciate your tone." She warned her, threatening.

"You know you can´t change the Timeline, you cannot escape your fate. And yet you send me to this suicide mission!"

"How dare you?"

"The Timeline said that the Prince would arrive! Whatever we do, he will! We´ll fail!"

"If you fail and he reaches the Island, I swear that I´ll kill you with my own hands. So fulfill your mission and do whatever you must to end with that human! Come on!" She shouted, pointing at the door. "Go!"

Shahdee looked at her one last time with hate before turning around to leave. Kaileena watched her go away, full of rage. She headed to her room, but someone stood in her way. After taking two steps, the Crow appeared in front of her.

"You´ve done well, Empress. Shahdee was starting to be irritant."

"Go away, Crow." She ordered, avoiding him and following her path. "I don't wish to talk to anybody. I want to be alone."

"But, Mistress, will you be able to sleep in such an important moment?" Kaileena stopped when she was going up stairs and turned sharply.

"Look, I don't know what you pretend. But I´m tired of you trying to manipulate everything I do. I remind you that I´m your Empress!"

"Empress, please. I´m just worry about your safety. Admit that without me you would have gone crazy." He went closer, took her hair aside and whispered. "You know you need me, and not only to satisfy your loneliness."

"Enough!" She shouted, pushing him away. "I´ve been too benevolent with you … Stay away! Do what you have to do and watch over the Island!"

"As you wish." And he disappeared, offended.

Kaileena reached the Hourglass Room. She placed her hand on it. It was empty. But if the Prince managed to kill her and her soul was sentenced to disappear, the Sands of Time would be enclosed in it, waiting to be used. The waiting was killing her. Would Shahdee defeat such a human? Would she change her fate? All she could do was to wait.

Shahdee was already on the ship, looking for the Prince´s vessel. Fate was favorable. A horrible storm whipped the Island´s surroundings. One of the Raiders asked his captain about the orders.

"Shahdee, what will we do?"

"Sink that ship." She said, looking straight. "The storm is very fierce. If we manage to sink it, I doubt they will reach the Island alive. And if any of them do it, They´ll be weak and the soldiers there will finish them easily."

"What do you plan to do?"

"First we´ll engage their ship. When you´re on it, we´ll crash our ship with theirs. Our prow is strong, it will pierce the flank easily."

"And what if they try to climb to our ship?"

"We´ll stand there as long as we can and we´ll kill as many enemies as we find. You take care of the sailors. I´ll get the Prince."

That night, the waters around the Island would become red. Shahdee was risking her life in this battle. She had to be victorious or she would die at Kaileena´s hands if she came back defeated. But if she was defeated and she didn't manage to escape, the Prince would be the one to kill her.


	7. Chapter 6: Attack at sea

**Chapter 6: Attack at sea**

Nothing past the ship´s bow was visible because of the storm. However, the Prince could feel that they were close to the Island of Time. He told his men to be on their guard. He had some men watching the sea in search of rocks. If they crashed, they would be in trouble.

Suddenly, a beam blinded them. He thought he had seen something behind the clouds. He tried to look deeper, but he didn't see anything, so he turned around, thinking it was just his imagination. But then, a rain of hooks tied to ropes fell over them. They were in fire, and soon, the ship started to burn as they reached its wood.

The deck was a chaos. The sailors ran around, not knowing what to do. They were confused. The enemy was taking them closer with the ropes. The Prince let his cloak fall, unsheathed his blade and shouted:

"Ready your weapons!"

All his partners found their weapons and ran to the side where the Prince was standing, watching as the enemy brought them closer. He saw the soldiers on that ship, and at that moment, the Amulet started glowing.

"Sand Creatures … But, this Amulet can hold them?" He thought, analyzing the situation.

The ship reached the other one. But they didn't attack yet. That disturbed the Prince. Between the Sand Creatures, a feminine figure showed up, brandishing two swords.

"The Empress?" He thought. "No, it would be too risky for her."

That woman was Shahdee. She stared at the Prince for a moment, with a smile on her lips. But she changed her face, showing contempt and then ordered her soldiers to attack.

"Kill him."

And like if they were mad, they jumped over his men. The Prince was forced to step back to fight.

"Untie the hooks." Shahdee ordered to the creatures who stood in her ship. "Let´s sink that vessel."

The Prince tried to make his way through the rubble while the ship started burning more and more. He found his first opponent. That creature hided his face behind a skull of some kind of animal. After killing him, a cloud of Sand got into his Amulet. Now, one of the six circles in it was glowing. He saw the moon in the middle of it started filling up. It looked like the Dagger. He tried to press the moon button, but nothing happened.

"It doesn't work? Why?" He said to himself, frustrated.

He ignored that and kept walking, killing as many enemies as he found in his path. Shahdee stared at him from her ship. If he continued like that, he would find the way to jump over her boat. She had to stop him. Seeing that he was next to the mast, she ordered one of her men to shoot the catapult aiming to the high part of it. Everything fell over the Prince, who fell to the inside of the ship.

"Damn him! He´s too lucky." She turned to her soldiers. "Stop shooting and start the attack maneuver. We have to sink that ship now!"

The cellar was starting to flood and the parts away from the water were in fire. He also found more enemies there. His partners, dead. These creatures were easy to kill. Just three hits were enough to make them disappear into the Sands. He killed them all in some minutes. He could still get out through a corridor. He was about to go through it when two iron spears from the other ship broke through the wood. Water started entering in spurts. He had to get out of there! He walked the best he could though the water to the other side. Before reaching it, the other ship crashed with his and the Prince could see the prow of it going through the wood. His ship was breaking in two.

The enemy´s ship was, literally, inside his one. If he ran, he could reach it. He finally arrived to the cellar. On his right there was a rope tied to the floor, very tense. That rope was tied to the top of the sail. An idea came to him and, not thinking it twice, he cut the rope and he was shot to the outside. He softened his fall with the sail and he jumped over the other ship. Then, he saw his target: the girl in black. He approached her killing all the enemies, finishing their pathetic lives.

He reached the place where the captain waited for him. One of his men had managed to reach the other ship, getting close to her. He tried to attack her, but she cut his throat easily. The Prince walked up the stairs and watched her, waiting for him.

"You won´t reach our shores alive." She sentenced.

"For your own sake, you better hope I don´t!"

And then, a brutal fight started between the Empress´ bodyguard and the Prince of Persia. The Prince attacked, but Shahdee blocked him crossing her two blades. She repelled his attack with a kick which nearly touched the Prince. That only enraged him even more. He threw his second sword, trying to injure her. Shahdee was faster and backed away. Then, she decided that it was time to stop defending herself and attack, and using one of the Prince´s attacks, she blocked it and tried to cut his throat. Unfortunately, she just managed to cause him a cut on his face between his eyes.

"You bitch!" He shouted.

The Prince tried to jump over her, but when he landed on the floor, he found a painful surprise. Shahdee hit him right in his "royal jewels" that made him fall to the ground, screaming in pain. Shahdee kicked him more times while the injured Prince writhed in pain.

"And you call yourself a master swordsman?" She mocked. That enraged the Prince more and he got up. "You have two choices: Run, or die!"

The battle continued a few minutes more, until the Prince and Shahdee fought blade to blade, waiting for the other one to step back. Shahdee could feel it, this human wouldn't give up. He was stronger than what she had thought. She had to distract him.

"It seems that the Empress has overestimated your abilities." She said proudly.

"The Empress?"

That surprised the Prince. Because of that, he let his guard down for a second, enough time for Shahdee to use her blades to throw the Prince´s sword against the wood, leaving him unarmed. It was the moment she so waited for. After throwing his sword to the wood, she turned and hit his opponent in the face with her elbow which made him start bleeding. Then, she kicked him in the face. He was stunned now. Finally, she took advantage of his position near the rail and she kicked him one last time in his neck, leaving him unconscious and throwing him to the sea.

She leaned out and the saw the trace that the Prince had left in the water after his fall and the bubbles coming out. Her soldiers did the same. Shahdee walked to the place where she had thrown his sword, took it and threw it to the sea, still watching to make sure that he didn't stay afloat.

"Finish this and get back to the Island."


	8. Chapter 7:Fail Persecution through

**Chapter 7: Fail. Persecution through the Island**

Kaileena wasn't able to sleep. She only turned around in her bed. She needed to calm down anyway, to vent. She wasn't going to resort to the Crow, she wanted to stay away from him. The only thing that could relieve her despair in that moment was a bloodbath.

She still had some prisoners who had not died after all the tortures she made them suffer to get some fun. So, she went to the Prison in search of her victim. She found a young girl, probably in her last teens. She was weak, but she would be useful. She ordered to some Executioners to take her to the Sacrificial Altar. The smell of death filled the whole room.

They walked up the stairs which leaded to a circular platform with curved columns on the edges. It looked like if it was a huge hand right about to close its cold claws. The Altar was in a small room with lots of candles, with a stone monument next to the wall and dry blood everywhere.

They chained the girl to the Altar, who still, though her weakness, tried to struggle to escape.

"Leave." She ordered to her subordinates. When they left she turned to the girl, who looked at her with tears in her eyes. Kaileena held a dagger in her hands. "You know what´s going to happen to you, don't you?" Kaileena loved to rattle her victims before torturing them to death. "Are you scared? Do you feel distress?"

"Please! I´m begging you! Let me go!" She begged, who then cried because Kaileena slapped her.

"I haven't given you the permission to speak." She said. "Now I´ll have to punish you …" She said, playing with the dagger in her hands.

Kaileena charged against the girl, stabbing her in her leg and twisting it while she spent all her energy crying and begging for mercy. But she didn't listen. She only motivated the Empress, who started stabbing her in the stomach many times. The young girl wasn't able to speak or cry, her body was giving her up. Her blood flew from her inside to the ground at an alarming rate, going through groove to the main platform and falling off the edge, like a fountain.

Kaileena kept stabbing the body of the girl even after she stopped breathing. She didn't realize that she had died until she got tired of it. That made her happy. But, suddenly, her glance changed when she looked at the lifeless body of her victim. Her mind, which was tired after so many visions, started to make her loose sanity, and she saw herself there, on the floor, bloody and dead, with many injures across her body. Then, she felt a chill, she looked at her hands, stained with blood and backed away.

"What have I become?" She asked to herself.

The Goddess of Time hadn't been created for evil goals. Quite the contrary, her task to ensure the good of the World of Mortals and make sure that nothing would interfere with the Timeline. But her envy for the other Gods had taken her soul, giving path to the rage and hate she had hold back to become all the opposite of what she was supposed to be. Even if her appearance implied that she was a delicate and beautiful young woman, under her skin she had created a monster which had become the master of her soul and heart, making her despise and hate everything around her, no matter the consequences.

In the Present, the storm seemed to ease. The waves brought the remains of the Prince´s ship and some bodies of the ones who didn't survive. Surprisingly, the Prince arrived to the shore alive, but exhausted, so he spent all night unconscious.

When he opened his eyes, his head was spinning, his body ached from the hits received, and he could still feel how the scar on his face still burned. Suddenly, he felt a prick on his neck. Another one on his arm. When he focused his vision, he saw himself surrounded by black crows trying to eat him.

His first reaction was to slap them, but they came back . The Prince, tired of those repulsive birds, took a small stick from the ground to use it as a sword, since his wasn't there, and he charged against them, killing them. Then, he saw the havoc of the battle from the previous night.

"My crew … All are lost! I will find the one who did this … and she will pay!"

Shahdee, who had already landed, decided to take a look at the beach to make sure that no one survived. She counted on that until she saw the Prince. Then, her hopes vanished.

"It can´t be … He´s alive!" She said, hiding behind a wall so that he couldn't see her. She turned to a soldier who came with her and told him "Get the others, we have to kill that human!"

In the time the soldiers got ready to annihilate the unwelcome visitor, the Prince looked a group of decomposing bodies, hanging over the water. They were three men. They had all succumbed to death, and the crows had devoured their bodies. That was a signal for visitors: Leave before being detected, or end like them. The message was clear.

The Prince continued his path. After some minutes walking, he reached a huge door. It was closed, but it had a hole near the ground where he was able to go through. Then, he found two Raiders like the ones who had attacked his ship. Seeing their reactions, he understood that he wasn't welcome. The stick wouldn't be very useful, so he avoided them and he climbed a wall. They didn't manage to get to his position. He kept walking and he found two more. He took one´s weapon and threw them to a small lake bellow.

He reached a huge door with iron bars. It was oxidized and broken. Some centuries had gone over it. He climbed it and arrived to something that a long time ago was the Fortress Entry. The problem was that the access stairs were … vanished.

A sound alarmed him. He wasn't alone. He looked around him, trying to find his enemy.

"Come on … I know you´re out there." He said. "Show yourself!"

He heard steps behind him. It was, with no doubt, the woman who had threw him from his ship, Shahdee. He continued as if he had not heard her.

"Where I come from, we face our opponents."

Shahdee was just behind him, a few meters away from him. She was getting ready to attack.

"And if our enemy is unarmed, we offer them a sword!"

And when he finished that phrase, Shahdee tried to attack him by surprise. But the surprised one was her, who received a hard hit from the Prince, falling to the ground. That hit hurt her. She wouldn't defeat him. The Timeline was right. Her only chance was to warn the Empress, even if it was dangerous. The Prince turned to face her, who still tried to get on her feet. Luckily for her, the soldiers showed up to help her.

"Kill him!"

One of the Raiders went to assist her and jumped over him. He was the leader of the group. He was the only one who had a good weapon, the Spider Sword, one of the Swords from the Order of the Island of Time. They were special swords. The Spider Sword, the most simple of them all, had a balanced composition. Since it didn't have any other special attribute, it was destined to the leader of the different squads.

The Prince made that Raider fall to the ground with a kick, and he let the sword go. It was a great chance for the Prince, who caught it and finished him. He turned to Shahdee, who stared at him with hate and fear at the same time. She chose to run away. She wasn't sure of who was more dangerous: the angry Empress of Time or the Prince of Persia in rage.

The Prince found himself surrounded by many enemies. However, they were so stupid that they didn't attack at the same time. One by one, the Prince killed them. He followed Shahdee and when he reached the next area, he found an entry to the Fortress he could reach, and with it, a new enemy.

It was one of the Crow´s subordinates, one of his numerous partners. Physically, all the members of this squad were identical, but the Empress' right hand had been endowed with an intelligence and ability which were beyond the imagination of his own creator. She had unconsciously endowed him with a great capacity of manipulation, reason why this soldier knew how to cheat his partners to go in his place to go to dangerous places.

The strategy of this squad was curious. When they felt in danger, they vanished transformed in many crows and they searched for a place away from their enemy and wait there until he arrived to attack him. Obviously, the Prince wasn't going to fall in that trick and he killed him like his other opponents.

After reaching the upper level, the Prince was able to enter the Fortress. The inside showed that the Island had been centuries abandoned. The place was tenebrous. There were leaks in many holes in the roof. The curtains, still hanging, remained there with cracks, waving in the wind which came in through the cracks on the walls. It was a real pity, it was a good castle. The Prince was so fascinated looking around him that he didn't notice that he had a group of enemies under him.

"Kill him!" One shouted, alerting the others.

Those enemies were not match for him. He killed them easily. He cut one´s head off, broke another one in two halves and the last one just became Sands.

"I have made this journey for THIS?" And like if he was being observed my someone, he raised his arms and, confronting his enemies. "Send foes worth my sword! Come on!"

"The Empress was right. He´s too dangerous." Shahdee said to herself after seeing all that. "I must go through the Portal and deactivate it before he reaches me. At least we´ll gain some time."

How wrong she was! The traps in the hall that leaded to the Portal didn't work, and the Prince went through it fast. When he arrived, Shahdee was still waiting the whirlwind to raise her to take her to the Past. The Prince, seeing that his victim escaped, he jumped over her with his sword. But when he was going to attack, she vanished.

"Madness!" He shouted at the time he realized that he was away from the ground in the whirlwind. "What king of magic is this?"

He watched how everything around him started to change. The rocks in the floor went back to the roof, everything returned to its original color and the room was illuminated with candles. He had travelled back in Time! Shahdee, who was going out of the Portal, turned around and saw him there, trying to stand up.

"Oh no!" She thought. "I cannot let him follow me!"

Hoping to daze him and so avoid him to follow her steps, Shahdee kicked him in the face, making him nearly faint. She ran away. The Prince, instead of running behind her, stayed there watching the changes in the Portal.

"It seems I have discovered one of the Time travelling Portals the Old Man spoke of." He said, looking around. Then, he looked to the exit. "Good, I have one of the pieces of the puzzle. Let´s see where does that bitch in black take me."


	9. Chapter 8: Cornered

**Chapter 8: Cornered**

Kaileena washed her bloody hands in a recipient with water. Meanwhile, she rethought everything she had done during her exile. If she died, she was sure that her soul would be destroyed. She was sentenced to oblivion. Even if she begged the Gods to forgive her, they wouldn't listen to her. Why was she enforcing to avoid a sure dead? The Laws of the Timeline were clear: "What is written in the Timeline, cannot be changed."

However, she had done what she wanted since her birth, regardless of what the other Gods thought about it. It was Ormazd who discovered her, when he started suspecting after all those catastrophes in the World of Mortals.

He discovered her in bed with an aggressive king she had seduced and convinced to attack another kingdom. When Ormazd showed up in the room, Kaileena had no escape. She had been discovered by the most powerful God of all. She tried to face him, but she only managed to lose her powers with every attack she used against him. She was exhausted, with no energies. She had fallen in his trap.

From that day, she was forced to live with that form, forgotten and disgusted by the other Gods. Ormazd didn't understand why she had done that. He saw Kaileena born as a Goddess. He followed her first steps. She would have been a Goddess admired in the World of Mortals is she had not been driven by greed and lust for power.

Ormazd had a special love for Kaileena. She wasn't like the other Gods. He had seen something in her. He knew that, someday, the destiny of the World would be in her hands. But he never wondered that such a beautiful flower would fade.

Pained, he had to watch Kaileena enforce her penalty on Earth, watching as her soul became darker and darker. But he still maintained hope for Kaileena to be forgiven in the last second, and so be able to go back home. If she didn't, one of the greatest treasures of the World of Gods would disappear.

Kaileena looked around her, wishing to go back home. That place was no more than another of the consequences of her actions. Maybe, the Prince had been sent by the Gods to finish her life, as a punishment for not redeem.

Sighing, she turned to leave to her chambers. But then, Shahdee entered the room running, agitated, with many wounds made by a sword. She was surprised to see her like that. She wondered why she came running. Would she had managed to kill the Prince? She had to know it.

"Well?" She asked, while Shahdee gasped for air. "What happened? Speak!"

"I tried my best, Empress." Kaileena felt a chill when she heard those words. "He was too strong a fighter."

"He reached the Island?" She asked, fearing the answer.

"Worse. He followed me through a portal." She explained. "He´s here, now, in our time."

Kaileena couldn't hold it back. In a panic, she let her anger emerge and drove her hand to Shahdee, slapping her right in the face and making her fall to the ground. She walked to her position and placed her foot over her chest, pressing to avoid her getting up.

"How dare you to stand before and admit failure? You should have died to protect me!"

"I´ll not give my life for this foolishness!" She shouted, holding Kaileena´s leg and pushing her away. She got up and tried to attack her. "If you want to try to change the Timeline, you can do it yourself!"

Kaileena managed to hold Shahdee´s wrists to avoid her swords. Even so, she was in trouble. Her subordinate had just betrayed her. The Crow was right. But she had to fight. Shahdee would kill her, she was tired of her behavior. All the contempt she had showed was given back to her with the shape of sharp blades.

"After everything I´ve done …" She said. "I endowed you with more strength than anyone. How dare you?"

"Enough! Your contempt has reached a limit above the tolerable! I won´t be under the command of such a tyrant like you!"

"You´ll pay for this!"

"You don't deserve to live!" She threatened.

"Damn traitor!"

They fought for some minutes. Kaileena was in clear disadvantage. She had no weapons to fight with. There was a sword not far away, but she knew that if she tried to reach it, Shahdee would kill her. Kaileena heard some steps. Whoever it was, he stopped when he saw them fighting. She had to ask for help or she would die.

"You! Help me!" She shouted.

When she looked at him, she saw the man who would be her murderer. The Prince was there. She was cornered. What if Shahdee told him that she was the Empress? It would be her death sentence! Thinking about that, Kaileena could feel his sword going through her body.

Shahdee took advantage of her distraction and threw her to the floor, approaching the edge. Kaileena had to hang on to something, the edge was very close. In the last second, her hands managed to find somewhere to hold, remaining suspended in the air. She tried to go up, but she couldn't.

She heard the sound of Shahdee´s boots getting closer. She felt something pressing on her fingers. She was going to finish her mission, killing her. Kaileena, couldn't see anything but the vacuum under her feet. So, she just listened.

"Leave her alone!" She heard the Prince say. "You and I have unfinished business."

After that, she could only wait and pray for her arms didn't fail her. The battle was hard. Shahdee managed to throw his opponent away and she tried to go back to Kaileena to kill her, but the Prince didn't allow her to do it. In one of those attempts, he wounded Shahdee in her arm.

"Do you hear it?" He asked. "My sword is calling you!"

Shahdee tried to attack the Prince, but he took advantage of her move to jump over her. Then, the same way she had hit him, he drew his leg against her, making her fall to the floor. Before she could get up, Shahdee felt the cold metal of the Spider Sword going through her stomach.

Kaileena heard her dying cry, and seconds after, she saw blood falling from the edge of the platform. She had no doubt about it, it was Shahdee´s blood. He had killed her. With every second, she saw things darker and darker. She even thought of loosing from the edge and fall to the vacuum under her feet. But the sound of steps broke her thoughts.

She looked up and saw face to face her murderer, staring at her. Luckily for her, the Prince didn't recognize her and helped her up. She felt his breath touching her skin, making her shudder. She had to get out of there. So, without saying a word, she started walking, hoping he wouldn't recognize her.

"Wait!" He shouted, approaching her.

Kaileena stopped, not knowing what to say. Would he have discovered her? She could have run away, but the Prince would have followed her and she would have discovered herself. She breathed deeply and turned to face the man who would finish her life.

"What do you want from me?" That was the only thing she managed to say. She saw him coming closer to her and she shuddered even more.

"I seek an audience with the Empress."

A huge relief ran through her body. He didn't recognize her! That would give her more time and advantage. Now, she just had to get rid of him. Knowing that he thought that she was just a servant, the best thing she could do was to say that the Empress would not want to see him. Maybe, she would gain more time with that excuse, or even get rid of him forever.

"The Empress meets with no one. Who do you think you are?"

"I am the Prince of Persia." He announced.

"I see … Today is a very important day, Prince. She cannot be disturbed." She answered.

"I don't think you understand how important this is!"

"Fool …" A voice said behind them. It was Shahdee. The Prince protected Kaileena, who hid behind him. "Don't you know … You cannot change your Fate?" And after that, she exploded in a cloud of sand.

"`You cannot change your Fate´ … Was she speaking to me? How could she know my mission?"

"Mission?" Kaileena thought. "Pretty way to call your intentions of killing me."

Their thoughts were broken by the sound of cracking rock. They looked at the roof and saw it falling over them. They ran to the stairs, but they were trembling. It was unsafe to step on them. Over their heads, the upper level started to fall. Kaileena couldn't remain there. If she wanted to get away from him, she had to cross.

"Watch out!" He shouted, trying to hold her. Everything fell under a cloud of dust. When it dissipated, the Prince could see Kaileena at the other side of the stairs. "Stay there. I will find my way to you."

"No, Prince! Leave this place and never return!" She insisted. "The Empress has no love for the world of men. She will kill you if she learns of your presence."

After that threat, Kaileena left the room. She was trembling. If the Prince had known who she was, or if Shahdee had told him, she wouldn't be walking to the Throne Room. Her legs failed her, she wasn't able to take more than two steps without falling. She reached the Access Hall. She was walking up the stairs to the Hourglass chamber when, suddenly, a vision assaulted her mind. This time, the pain was more. She tripped and fell on her knees near the wall. Again, she saw herself dying at the Prince´s hands.

"Hey, what´s the Empress doing there?" Asked a Raider to his partner when they saw her.

"Something´s wrong with her!" They ran to Kaileena and tried to help her. "Empress, what happens?"

"Don't touch her!" A voice ordered. It was the Crow. He walked closer and spoke to her. "Mistress, what happened?"

"Crow …" She said, weak by the vision. "You were right. Shahdee had … betrayed me."

"Betrayed?" One of the Raiders asked, amazed.

"Shahdee would never do such thing." The other one added.

"And what happened?" The Crow asked.

"She failed in her mission." She explained. She was getting weaker. The Raiders had to hold her. "The Prince followed her through a Portal. I´ve seen his face … "She mourned, lowering her head.

"And what about Shahdee?"

"Dead. The Prince killed her when she was trying to kill me. Fortunately, he doesn't know I am the Empress. I don't know what to do."

"Empress." He said. "Let me take Shahdee´s place. I´ll protect you better than she did."

"But you´d need more power."

"I know. But maybe you should give me more power than what you gave her. It would be safer. As your servant, I beg you to endow me with the most power you can, Empress."

Kaileena became silent. She didn't know what to do. It was risky. The Crow wasn't created to hold so much power. She didn't know the consequences it could bring. But, what choices did she have?

"Alright. I´ll give you part of my powers …" A light started to shine on them, while the two Raiders stared each other, unable to believe what was happening right in front of them. After finishing, Kaileena felt herself weaker. "Crow … Prevent what the Timeline foretold. Don't allow him to kill me"

Kaileena closed her eyes, exhausted. She was too weak to remain awaken. She was tired from the past days, but endowing the Crow with her powers was too much for her.

"Take her to her chambers and make sure she rests. Put guards in all the hall, doors and even inside of the room if it´s necessary."

The Raiders obeyed and they both took the Empress to her room, weaker than never. If the Prince had found her in that moment, he could have killed her even without using his sword. Some servant girls stayed in the Empress´ chambers with her, while the soldiers watched the surroundings. The Crow had given clear orders. There was a human on the Island and the Empress´ wish was to see him dead.


	10. Chapter 9: A chance in despair

**Chapter 9: A chance in despair**

Kaileena woke up after some hours. She still felt weak, but she was recovered. Her servants offered her some food and water right after she woke up, but she refused their offerings. She wanted to know what had happened in the time she was unconscious. She got up and headed to the Hourglass chamber as fast as she could, in search of the Crow. She didn't found him there or in the Throne Room. Confused, she asked a Raider what was going on there.

"Where is the Crow?"

"After ordering all the army to open our eyes and find the Prince of Persia, nobody has seen him again. He said he would be flying around the Island searching for him. He said that you should hide in the Throne Room."

"Hide in the Throne Room?"

"Yes, the soldiers of the Towers are waiting orders to deactivate them and close the main door. He said that you could enter through the corridor of your chambers."

"Alright … close the gate."

In the Present, the Prince was facing a new challenge. He had to find another Portal to return to the Past. Running through the few halls still not destroyed, he reached the previous room to the Sacrificial Altar. The access to that chamber was blocked and there were some soldiers on the central platform, Raiders, as he could see. After wallrunning and jumping from the edges to the central platform, he discovered a disgusting surprise. So many soldiers there had a good reason.

"He´s the one the Empress wants dead!" Said one of the Raiders.

"Well, it seems that the Empress knows I am here. I guess she has foreseen me."

"Get him!"

The Raiders were joined by three Blade Dancers who didn't seem very sure about if they wanted to kill the Prince or seduce him. He hated these warriors. They confused him with their unusual in-battle phrases and they were really agile. Every time he tried to attack them, they jumped over him, avoiding his blade. The ninja outfit they wore was right, they moved like ninjas.

He killed the Raiders throwing them off the platform so that he could focus on his three "little friends". He couldn't attack them straight, he couldn't jump over them … One of them jumped over his back and tried to cut his throat, but, luckily, he was able to get rid of her in time. He got a cut in his shoulder, but at least he wouldn't drain off.

"I´m not trying to hurt you …" She laugh.

"Really? I think you have a wrong concept of hurting!" He said, attacking again, causing her a cut in her leg.

"Hit me harder, Prince! Harder!"

"I´m growing tired of this!"

The Blade Dancers kept laughing in the Prince´s face, who, tired of their mocking, ran up a wall and jumped over them. At last, he was able to cut them in two halves and get rid of them.

"I really hope I won´t find more like them. They really make me go mad!"

After having a break, the Prince continued his path. He found a small mirror in the wall and he stared at his reflection. He still had the mark of Shahdee´s wound on his face. That scar would be there for the rest of his days. He looked down and saw the Amulet. It had three tanks full of Sands. The small half moon was glowing and the mechanism in it also glowed.

"That's weird … Might my travel through time have activated it? Let´s make a test."

He took a sword and threw it away. Then, he pressed the Amulet mechanism, keeping his finger on it. The sword came back to him. When he stopped pressing on the mechanism, everything settled.

"Alright. I already know which is one of the powers. But, what about the other one?"

He pressed the mechanism again. When he did it, everything around him looked like distorted. But, what was going on? He heard a sound behind him and he turned around to see a small rock falling down to the ground … Very slowly.

"Oh, perfect! Now I can slow time! That will be very helpful to fight against those damn Sand Creatures. If I had knew this earlier, I could have defeated those women faster!"

The Prince kept walking and climbed to a passage in the wall. But when he was walking across it, he felt that he was no longer alone. Instinctively, he looked back and saw the Dahaka approaching him.

"The Dahaka! It has found me? HERE? Impossible! How has it reached his Island?"

There was no time for questions, he had to run away. The floor under his feet began to shake. If it toppled, he would fall down and die. He had to find a way out. With the Dahaka behind his steps, the Prince ran as fast as his legs allowed him. He saw a small crack on the wall on the other side of the abyss. If he reached it by jumping with some bars, he could save himself. He reached it with difficulty because the Dahaka nearly caught him with one of its tentacles. But it didn't give up! It reached the Prince´s position with just a leap. How could it jump like that? It was coming over him. He jumped inside the crack, just in time. The Dahaka seemed to have lost him.

"How has that beast reached this place?" He asked to himself. "I better find a Portal before he finds me again."

The Prince arrived again to the room from where he reached the Castle. Everything seemed calmed, but he could feel the Dahaka close. It had to be following his trail. He´d have to be on his guard. That silence troubled him. But, at least, it helped to hear the Dahaka approaching. He heard its steps. So, he didn't think it twice and started running to the Portal. He thought it had caught him when he saw its tentacles coming out of the walls before him, nearly touching his legs. The Portal was close, but the Dahaka was closer. Unable to think, the Prince jumped to the gateway. He was surprised when he saw that when the Dahaka tried to go through the waterfall with one of its tentacles, it backed away, hurt.

"What´s this? It can´t cross the water …" He said, surprised. "It seems that it has a weak point … This is certain to come in handy."

While all this was happening, Kaileena was getting ready to isolate herself in the Throne Room. She looked at the Hourglass, which grew emptier. When the last grain fell, her death would happen, and if things continued like that, the Sands of Time would fill it, capturing her soul until someone opened the Hourglass and used the Sands. If that was enough for her, a messenger told her notices that terrified her even more.

"Empress!"

"What is it?" She asked, more worried while the seconds passed.

"The Dahaka, it has been seen in the Prince´s time. It´s on the Island!"

"What?" Kaileena couldn't believe those words. "Then … The Dahaka is after him. But if it finds the way to go through the Portals …" Then, she would be in serious trouble, because she feared that if the Dahaka found her and remembered what she did, it would take revenge of her. "Make sure that all the Portals have the waterfalls working! We can´t let it come to our time!"

"Yes, Empress." He said, bowing and then leaving the room.

"Things are going from bad to worse …"

Kaileena finished preparing her belongings. She walked up a ladder near the Hourglass to reach one of the Swords from the Order which she had made with her own hands. It was the Serpent Sword. It was a sword with a curious "S" form. It wasn't only a weapon, it also served as a key to access the Towers. That was the only thing which would allow his enemy to open the Throne Room and find her.

She heard steps getting closer. She looked at the doorway, expecting to see one of her subordinates. But no … It was the Prince. With a mixture of fear and anger for having him ahead, Kaileena faced him and threatened him.

"This is a dangerous place! You shouldn't have come back!" She said. "The Empress could find you."

"I have the feeling that the Empress already knows that I´m here." He answered.

"Of course she knows."

"Have you told her?" He asked, blaming her.

"The Empress doesn't need me to know that there´s an intruder in her Castle. If the traps are activated and the soldiers are though the main rooms and halls, it´s because you´re not welcome." She said, walking to his position.

"Is she scared?" He asked, smiling.

"Scared of you?" Kaileena felt herself hunted. She didn't know what to say.

"Well, if she isn't, why hiding? Why does she send her soldiers to fight me instead that fight me personally? If she´s so powerful, she shouldn't have any problem in facing me."

"I´ve already told you she´s busy. You can´t see her!"

"My mission is very, VERY urgent. I must see her!"

"You don't understand!" She pointed to the Hourglass. "When the last grain of Sand falls from this Hourglass, the Empress will create the Sands of Time." She looked back at him. "No business of yours could be more important than that!"

"I´ve come to stop the Empress from creating the Sands!"

"Stop her? You?" That confused her for a moment. But she wasn't going to fall in his trap. She wouldn't let him. "Don't make me laugh."

"You´re too bold to be just a servant. I demand you to show more respect." Kaileena was making the Prince angry.

"You can thank the Gods that I haven't told the soldiers you´re here. You´re not welcome in this place. I´m treating you as you deserve. The creation of the Sands was foretold in the Timeline, it cannot be stopped."

"I just saved your life." He noted. "Twice. Now, I demand you to help me in gratitude! If I don't avoid the creation of the Sands, the Dahaka will continue hunting me!"

"Help you? If the Empress discovers that I´m helping you, she will kill me for high treason! Are you mad?"

"Do you want me to kill you right now?"

The Prince was threatening her. If she continued angering him, he would discover the truth. For a second, Kaileena doubt. But an idea came to her mind. The Prince came to save himself from the Dahaka, he had to avoid the creation of the Sands. There was something in that phrase that Kaileena didn't like, since it didn't fit with her visions of death. But if it was true, their paths would meet sooner or later, and that would cause her death. She couldn't let the Prince win. She didn't trust him. However, this gave Kaileena an idea, a chance to save herself. If the Prince could, why not her?

She would fool the Prince to make him open the Throne Room gates. That would give her the time to get ready. She would gain his confidence and, when she got him inside the Throne Room, she would tend him a trap and kill him. She had to try!

The cold steel of the Prince´s Sword on her neck broke her thoughts. Her murderer´s patience was running lower.

"I will ask you one last time." He threatened her. "Where will the Sands be created?"

"In there." She said, pointing the Throne Room entry. "But the room has been sealed. You cannot enter."

"I´m sure there´s a way." He insisted with his sword still on her neck.

"Hah!" That insistence made her laugh. "You´d have to undo the very fortifications of the Castle, something impossible for you."

"When a man is faced with his own death, he finds the impossible less of a barrier. Tell me how!"

"Release me if you want me to help you."

The Prince hesitated. He didn't know if he could trust her or not. But that woman was no rival for him. She was just a servant … Or that´s what he thought. Kaileena told him how to open the doors. He´d have to activate both Towers to do it. She also gave him the Serpent Sword. The Empress herself was opening him the doors to bring him closer to her. It was very risky for Kaileena, but, at least, that gave her a chance.

"Is that all?" He asked.

"It is, for now. When you activate the first Tower I´ll wait for you in the Access Hall to give you more instructions. But I warn you, if the Empress discovers that I have betrayed her, it´ll be the end for both of us."

"For your own sake, you better be loyal. The same way I have saved your life, I can take it from you. You owe your life to me doubly. Now, where is the mechanism to access the Towers?"

"In the Access Hall. When you activate it you will see a lever. Use it. It won´t make a difference, though …"

"What do you mean?"

"Whether you get to the Empress or not, it´ll be the same. You cannot change your fate. What it´s written in the Timeline, cannot be changed."

"Thanks for the advice."

Without saying goodbye, the Prince left the room. Kaileena sighed in relieve. She had got rid of him for some time. She returned to her chambers to plan slowly her stratagem. She took her diary and left a note on it.

"_This might be my last chance to write on these pages. I´ve managed to fool the Prince. If I behave as he wishes I´ll be able to gain his confidence and trust, and when he has fallen into my trap, I´ll kill him. And once I´ve killed him, I´ll take revenge of his whole family and all his Kingdom. Chaos will fall over Persia!"_

Kaileena visualized her plan in her mind. After killing the Prince, she would go to Babylon and show the King his son´s head. Then, she would kill all the Family members and create chaos among the citizens, killing everyone she found and destroying everything she saw. Her rage clouded her mind with visions of victory. Could she do everything she planned without being discovered? Will she really change her fate?


	11. Chapter 10: Similarities and differences

**Chapter 10: Similarities and differences**

The Prince didn´t take long to reach the Mechanic Tower. It was all a show. The machinery in there was huge. Huge gears which moved circuits that took water to the track. Though there were many enemies from different categories, like the Keepers, the Golems, the Shadows and the Blade Dancers, in addition to the Spike Beasts, dog-looking creatures which exploded when they were defeated. The Empress had brought them from Aresura among the Golems.

In the time the Prince was trying to reach the mechanism of the central Tower, Kaileena had met again the Crow.

"What are you doing out of the Throne Room?" He asked, irritated.

"You speak to me like if you could control my actions." Answered a disgusted Kaileena.

"It´s for your own safety!"

"For my safety? You disappeared! I´ve had to manage to get rid of the Prince without you. Where were you in that moment?"

"I was flying over the Island."

"Flying over the Island! That's the only thing you do! I´m tired of you and your poor excuses, Crow! You´ve been using me to avoid the punishments you deserved! Enough! I don't want to see you again! Never!" She shouted, indignant.

"Do you really think you will be able to kill the Prince alone?" He confronted her.

"You aren't going to confuse me this time. So, don't star with your games. I have a plan and it will work!"

"Ambush the Prince? Are you going to fight him?"

"I won´t have to do it if he falls before."

"And do you really think he will?" The Crow used his skills to speak with sarcasm and rattle the Empress.

"If he doesn't die in the Mechanic Tower, something I really doubt, he´ll fall in the next one. Besides, the Dahaka is on the Island. I´m sure it has already hunted him."

In that moment, one of the locks of the Throne Room doors opened. The Prince had activated the first Tower. Kaileena´s heart stopped for a second, and the Crow enjoyed seeing despair in her face.

"Look … One less." He said, trying not to laugh.

Kaileena answered with one of her magic attacks, making the Crow vanish in many small crows that escaped flying. She couldn't believe it. He had activated the first Tower, and faster than what she had thought. Her hopes faded again. She had to eliminate him if she didn't want to fight him face to face. At least, she had to weaken him! Any other human had survived so long on the Island.

Just as she had told him, she´d have to meet him the Access Hall again. She would give him a new Sword, the Lion Sword, another one from the Order. However, this Sword held a horrible curse that Kaileena had spoken.

She waited impatient his appearance. She hoped that the Prince couldn't get there because to some kind of terrible accident. But, finally, he arrived.

"It´s you …" She said, disappointed.

"You seem surprised to see me …" He said.

"Surprised only to see that you insist on prolonging the inevitable."

"I see that the Empress hasn't discovered us yet."

"She won´t. She trusts me. I am not like the rest of the inhabitants of this Island."

"I know …" When the Prince spoke these words, Kaileena stared at him. Was he trying to seduce her? He looked at her with different eyes, not the same look from the last time. He seemed much more relaxed." I thank you your help. But, why do you do it?"

"Why do I do it? You threatened me with your Sword."

"Yeah, maybe my methods weren't the appropriate ones. But I just asked you where the Sands will be created, some information. However, here you are again, in front of me. What´s the reason of this?"

"Well, I …" Kaileena didn't know what to say. "I don't know … Perhaps half because you remind me of the Empress … Or who I wish she could be."

"What do you mean with that?"

"You see, like you, she knows her own fate. She has seen it in the Timeline, not much ago. She is also going to die."

"The Empress is going to die?" That made him think that he would fulfill his mission.

"Sadly, she is."

"Sadly? The Empress is a monster. She´s been tormenting humans for centuries."

"I know the Empress more than what you think, Prince. I´ve been with her my whole life. If she´s still here, it´s because of a punishment."

"If she was punished, I´m sure she deserved it."

"She knows she made a mistake. But her pride, in addition to the fear and despair she feels for her fate, don't allow her to behave in any other way."

"Sincerely, do you really think that after all the things she has done, she deserves a second chance? She continued doing evil after her exile, if I´m not wrong. Do you really think that?" Those words hurt Kaileena. But, after all, he was right.

"No …" She sighed. "But you don't know her. If someone tried to take her through another path, to show her that her hate for human kind has no fundaments … She might change." She said with sadness, speaking of herself. "The truth is that if she could get rid of the death that waits for her, she would be another person. She has thought many times about her actions. You don't know how much she suffers knowing the date and manner of her own death. The closer it draws, the greater her pain …"

"You speak of her like if YOU were the one suffering and not her." He said, thinking that Kaileena was exaggerating.

"I owe that woman my existence. If she suffers, I suffer too."

"I see …"

"They say knowledge is power, but I say it is a poison. Knowing these kind of things, when and how are they going to happen is such a torture … No one must suffer like that. It´s better that those things arrive when they have to, without notice. At least, this way you can enjoy your last days."

"That's true. But you said that was just half the reason. What is the other half?"

"I´ve known my whole life that what is written in the Timeline cannot be changed. Yet something inside me wants you to succeed."

"And do you think I will?" He asked, proudly.

"No. But I admire you for trying. The Empress does also. She never saw anyone so disposed to defy the Rules of Time. Nobody never travelled to this Island and survived so long."

"Thanks for your words."

"Take this." She said, giving him the Lion Sword. Then, she turned to leave.

"Can I ask you your name?" He asked.

"It´s … Kaileena."

"It´s a honor. Mine is Cyrus."

"It´s a pleasure." She lied. "The Hourglass is more than half empty. You don't have much time."

The Prince was ready to leave for the next Tower. Kaileena was also leaving, but the talk she had shared with him had made her to remember some feelings she had forgotten long time ago. Why did she feel so well in his company, in the company of her murderer? She couldn't let him go without asking him something else.

"Prince?" She called.

"Yes?" He said, turning to her.

"You´ve come here to kill the Empress, haven't you?" She asked, showing fear in her look.

"Yes." He just answered. Kaileena looked down. "I wouldn't do it if it wasn't necessary, Kaileena. But I must do it to save me."

Kaileena left without saying goodbye. That was a proof that the Prince´s words had hurt her. He saw her leave slowly, with her head low. She seemed to have no reasons to live for. She had to be really close to the Empress, he thought. Little he suspected that they were the same woman.

Kaileena didn't understand. How could her death fit with avoiding the creation of the Sands of Time? It had no logic! The Prince must be thinking that by killing her, he would stop its creation. But it was too late to try to make him understand the truth of it. She had to keep on, she couldn't back down. She had already had some chances to be sincere and tell him who she really was, chances to speak with him and try to reach a deal. But it was late. By the time the Prince would discover the truth, it would be too late to apologize.

They were not so different, after all. They both wanted the same, but only one of them would get it. However, she looked at him with other ayes now. She had enjoyed their conversation. Telling him her feelings had relieved her. But that wouldn't stop the Prince when he tried to take her life. All she could do was to get ready for the battle.


	12. Chapter 11: Truth uncovered

**Chapter 11: Truth uncovered**

Kaileena started preparing what would probably be her last battle. She left her swords, just sharpened, on the armrests of her Throne. When the Prince would come in, the main gate would close, and she would try to kill him there, with the benefit that he would be confused.

The Empress was divided. On one side, she wanted to kill the Prince. For on the other side, she wanted to tell him the truth and so, avoid a mortal battle, hoping that their destinies would meet without any of them dying. But she didn't really see that possible. After all, he had said it himself: He had come to kill her.

She heard a sound from far away, followed by another sound of opening doors. The Prince had activated both Towers. She went there and checked it with her own eyes. The door was opened. The Prince wouldn't take long to arrive and the Hourglass was almost empty. She starred at it, thinking of what was about to happen. Some minutes later, she heard the Prince´s steps behind her. He stopped beside her, staring at it too. They stayed in silence until the Prince spoke.

"Time is running low, you ready?" He asked, walking to the stairs. Kaileena followed him, and as they walked up the stairs, the Prince made a proposition that he would have never made if he had knew who she was. "I´ve been thinking, Kaileena. There´s little for you on this Island, and there will be less still once I´ve stood before your Mistress. Come with me to Babylon!" He offered. "You´ll have a chance to begin a new life, free from the evils of this place!"

Kaileena looked away. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. If things had only been different …

"So, what do you say?" He insisted.

"I´m sorry, Prince. But I cannot take you up on your offer." She answered, not looking at him. She wanted to avoid his eyes.

Kaileena entered the Throne Room while the Prince remained thinking. He couldn't understand why she had rejected his proposition. That place had nothing for her. If the Empress died, she wouldn't have anyone to serve. In Babylon, she could start a new life in the Palace, as his own servant or, if the King allowed it, as an special guest. She would be under his protection and she could live in the luxurious places of the Tower of Babel. But yet, she rejected him.

Disappointed for not getting the answer he expected, he entered the Throne Room, ready to finish the Empress. He´ll speak again to Kaileena about his proposition later. But, when he came in, there was anybody. No signal of the Empress or the Sands.

"Where is the Empress? Where are the Sands?" He shouted, confused and irritated.

He looked at Kaileena, who stared at him seriously. Maybe too much. She walked some steps away from him and activated a mechanism. Behind his back, a huge gate fell to the floor, sealing the room. The Prince didn't understand it. He couldn't react, he was only able to see how his only escape was closed.

"What are you doing? You´ve trapped us in here!" He yelled at Kaileena, who was heading to the Throne.

"I´m sorry, Prince. But only one of us can cheat fate today."

The Prince was growing more and more confused as the seconds passed. Kaileena reached the Throne and raised both swords, still not looking at him. Then, he understood it. He had been fooled. The Empress had been in front of him all the time and he didn't know it. He trusted Kaileena. But now, he understood why she had helped him. It was all a trap to bring him close to her. Now, everything fit. He understood why she said those things when she gave him the Lion Sword. She had seen him coming. She had seen everything. And since then, she had been trying to eliminate him. That was why he was attacked at sea. He would have never wondered such an outcome …

"You …" He mumbled, still unbelieving. "… Are the Empress?"

"Surprised?" She asked, rising her head with superiority.

"Dissapointed. How have you been such a coward? You really must have a twisted mind to think of such a trap!"

"I told you that the Empress had no love for the world of men. If I remember well, I told you to leave some times. And yet, you kept coming back again and again. I´ve been trying to avoid this encounter in all the possible ways!"

"Because you are afraid of me." He said.

"You have no idea of how much I have suffered since I saw my fate! And I won´t let it come true! If you can change your fate, I will change mine too!"

The battle started. Kaileena attacked before his opponent could have a chance to attack her. Using her powers, she appeared in front of the Prince and, before he could react, she kicked him in his face and threw him some meters away.

"You won´t change your fate …" She laughed.

"We´ll see that!" And from the ground, the Prince tried to throw her his dagger, but Kaileena avoided it.

"Fool … I am the Empress of Time. I know your every movements before you do!"

"And you should know that I am the Prince of Persia … And the King of Blades!" He answered, running to her.

"Hah! It will take you more than a simple sword strike to penetrate my defenses!" She laughed again, blocking his attack. "This is so wrong, Prince. How dare you to defy the Timeline?" She asked, trying to gain some ground while blocking his sword.

"You are not the most appropriated person to tell me that." He answered, slowly making Kaileena retreat.

After breaking her block, Kaileena raised herself into a Sand whirlwind and she invoked her Imperial Guards right after it. They would fight in her place while she stayed in the whirlwind, safe.

"You should have never come to this Island!"

The Prince killed Kaileena´s minions at the same time that her rage grew. When he defeated them, he stayed there, waiting for her to go down from the whirlwind.

"Come on! Don't be a coward. Come down here and fight me!" He yelled.

"You don't understand, do you? I will always be one step ahead of you, Prince!"

As soon as she step on the ground, she saw the Prince jumping over her. She backed away to avoid his sword, but this time, he reached her. The Prince looked at his sword. Blood. Kaileena had a deep wound in her stomach. In pain, she pressed over the wound with her arm, cursing him.

"I had hoped the Dahaka would kill you. I had hoped that Shahdee would keep you from the Island, or the Towers would finish you off!" She yelled at him. "I even cursed the sword I gave you … And yet you did not die!"

Kaileena tried to attack him, but the Prince blocked her attack and made her fall by kicking her right in the stomach, making her fall to the ground.

"Why would you do this, Kaileena?" He asked.

"I have already told you. I have foreseen my future: To die at your hands. But like you …" She walked closer and placed her swords against his. "I have decided to change it!"

"No, Kaileena! I don't mean that! Why did you choose the violent solution? Don´t you understand that with this you´re only going to make the events of the Timeline come true? Everything you saw will happen!"

"The Timeline showed me this battle. It showed me how you killed me … But I won´t let it happen!"

The battle continued for some hours because any of them gave up. However, Kaileena´s strength started to weaken. She was finding difficult to defeat this human. Finally, after a final crash of their swords, the fatal outcome arrived.

"You won´t leave this Island alive!" She yelled after getting away from him with her powers, appearing in the other side of the room.

"I mean you no harm, Kaileena." He said, that was something that confused her. "But I must finish this!"

They both ran to the other, with their swords in their hands. When they met, they both searched their opponent´s torso with their swords. There was a thunder noise when their swords met. They kept running after the crash, stopping slowly.

When they stopped, the Prince realized that he didn't have any wounds. But his sword, however, was broken. The upper part of it wasn't there. He turned to look at Kaileena, who remained quiet. She looked at her stomach and there, she found the other part of the Lion Sword she had given to the Prince. That same sword that she had cursed was now piercing her organs. Her blood fell to the floor, making a red pool at her feet. Then, she realized it: Everything was over for her.

"You are a fool, Prince!" She said, turning and allowing him to see her wound. "No matter what you do, you´ll still fail." Her strength banished slowly, and she fell on her knees, letting go one of her swords. "Just as I have tried and …" She could feel her eyes closing, her heart stopping, and her breathing become harder. It was her last breath, and she said her last words. "Just … As I have failed."

Kaileena collapsed, falling to the ground, covered with her own blood from the pool that had been formed. It was the end. Far away, she could hear a voice talking to her. It was the Prince´s voice, who, after seeing her falling dead, walked beside her, apologizing.

"I am sorry, Kaileena. You have fought until the end. Rest in peace."

The Prince extracted the piece of the sword from her body, placed her hands on her chest and covered her with a part of the huge curtains from the Throne. Happy for his victory but sad because of Kaileena´s death, he walked to the mechanism which opened the gate. But, before reaching it, he felt something behind him.

He turned and saw Kaileena´s body exploding into golden sand, which threw the Prince away, against a wall. The hit was so hard that, hurt and confused, he fell unconscious.


End file.
